FIL4561 – Ancient Philosophy and its Key Concepts

Course content

The course is centered around certain philosophical works, periods and/or ideas in the history of philosophy from its inception in roughly 600 BC up until approximately 700 AD (through overlapping seminars with FIL4560). The focus of the course and authors who will be studied in it will vary from semester to semester. In addition, the course gives an introduction to the foundational philosophical concepts in ancient philosophy and the Latin and Greek terms that were used to express them. Interpretive methods and challenges will also be addressed, and students will be introduced to the most important online and library resources for the study of ancient philosophy.

Learning outcome

When you have completed this course, you will:

  • have a thorough understanding of the text(s) and author(s) that were included in the reading list
  • be able to discuss the course`s philosophical theme in an independent and critical way, drawing both primary and secondary sources
  • be able to take a stand on the philosophical theme in a relatively independent manner

You will also be able to:

  • translate and interpret central conceptual terminology in ancient philosophy from both Greek and Latin
  • understand the most i