Philosophical Foundations in Ancient Civilizations

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is an overview of the thoughts and selected concepts in major eastern and western philosophical movements and systems from ancient to the middle age periods. Students will reflect on certain topicssuch as mind-body, Concept of God, knowledge of self and others, predestination and freewill, cause and effect and other fundamental ideas in classical knowledge.

COURSE CONTENT
 I. Introduction
a. What is Philosophy.
b. Ethics and Socio-politics.
c. Wisdom and t he Meaning of Life.
II. Ancient Philosophy: from Myth to Logos
a. Presocratic Philosophy:
1. Milesian school:
o Thales of Miletus (c. 624-547 BC); Anaximander (610-546 BC)
o Anaximenes of Miletus (585-525 BC)
2. Pythagorean School
o Pythagoras (582-496 BC) ; Alcmaeon of Croton ; Archytas (428-347 BC)
o Heraclitus (535-475 BC).
3. Eleatic School:
o Xenophanes (570-470 BC) ;Parmenides (510-440 BC)
o Zeno of Elea (490-430 BC); Philolaus (480-405 BC)
o Melissus of Samos (C.470 BC-Unknown)
4. Pluralist School:
o Empedocles (490-430 BC); Anaxagoras (500-428 BC)
o Atomist School of Pluralists.
o Leucippus (5th century BC, dates unknown); Democritus (460-370 BC)
b. Eastern Philosophy:
1. Hindu philosophy: the six main schools of thought: Samkhya, Vaisheshika, Nyaya,
Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, Uttara Mimamsa Vedanta, Mahabharata, Baghavad Gita.
2. Caste system, mantras.
c. Bases of Egyptian Mythology:
1. Cosmogony myths.
2. Theological symbolism.
3. Concepts.
III. Classical Period:
a. Socrates :
1. "Know thyself".
2. Majeutics.
b. Plato:
1. Introduction to topics on Ethics and Socio-politics.
2. Personality.
3. Timaeus:
o Cosmology
4. The Republic:
o Individual, society and State.
o Government systems and leadership.
o Myth of the Cavern.
 
c. Aristotle
1. Logics: Organon.
2. Four grades of knowledge.
3. Nicomachean ethics.
4. Metaphysics: Aristotelian view of God.
d. Eastern Philosophy:
1. Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama and the path of enlightenment:
o Dhammapada.
2. . Taoism:
o Lao-tzu (604? -531?)/Zhuanqzi
3. Confucianism:
o Kong Qiu-zi (Confucius).
o The Great Harmony: Li Order, Ju.
o Analects: Ethics.
 
IV. Hellenic Period (320 BC to aprox. 100 AD):
a. Stoic School: (some representations)
o Zeno of Citium.
o Seneca the Younger.
o Marcus Aurelius.
o Epictetus.
b. Middle Ages (395 ac to aprox. 1500 ac):
o Neo-Platonism.
V. Mythology and History: The Hero concept
a. History.
b. Mythology.
c. Monomyth.
d. The Heroes Journey

LEARNING EVALUATION

Short Oral Presentation (2: The Pre-Socratics/ The Republic) 20%
Essay:
-Similarities and Contrasts Between Eastern and Western Thought
(Egyptian Morals, Confucianism, Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism) 15%
Reading Comprehension Report (2 per student) (The Dhammapada/ The Brevity of Life) 20%
Round Table: Socratic Discussion 10%
Problem Resolution Group Project Class work; Classic Integrated Thought in Ethics and Politics applied to the
Modern World 35%
Total 100%