Eva Maria Räpple, Ph.D. Office: IC 2612 c   Tel. 630 942 3983 e-mail: mailto:raepple@cod.edu /

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Description

Are you curious about ideas, and thoughts which have shaped the world that you and I live in today? Are you interested in seriously acquiring skills to think, detect ambiguities, become aware of differing perspectives, and create reliable arguments? Studying works of Western thinkers from Antiquity to the Middle Ages will provide you with a thorough foundation for a comprehensive understanding of Western history and civilization. Between the sixth and fourth century BCE in places around the globe, curious thinkers began to challenge traditional beliefs, wisdom, and stories. They were seeking answers for questions about gods, the world, human nature, society, rejecting popular common sense notions in favor of critical investigations about what might be considered “true reality” versus mere appearance. The thinkers became known as “philosophers,” or lovers of wisdom. Discover these interesting thinkers trough their writings and learn about Western philosophy from its beginnings in ancient Greece to the Middle Ages.

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Objectives

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•  Demonstrate a facility with philosophical analysis and argumentation

•  Identify and describe the major philosophical figures and movements of the periods studied

•  Locate cultural and historical influences in the development of philosophy

•  Describe the relationships between philosophical figures and schools, and draw informed comparisons between them

•  Critically assess philosophical arguments for both content and structure

•  Demonstrate an understanding of the influence of key philosophical figures and movements on society and culture

Topical Outline

1. Ancient Figures and Movements: Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic and Roman philosophy (e.g., Epicurus, Lucretius, Chrysippus, Seneca, Epictetus)

2. Medieval Figures and Movements: Augustine, Anselm, Islamic philosophy (e.g., Averroes, Avicenna), Thomas Aquinas

3. Renaissance Figures and Movements (e.g., Erasmus, Montaigne, Machiavelli) 4. Early Advocates of Scientific Method (e.g., Bacon, Hobbes)

At the discretion of the instructor, the above topics may be supplemented or replaced by any topic that is relevant to the Course Description and meets the Course Objectives.

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No portion of this work shall be copied, reproduced, distributed or

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