Location:
Tuition:
Attend In Person OR Online
About 2,600 years ago, an “Intellectual Revolution” shifted Greek thinking from mythic descriptions of the world to observational ones. The first thinkers in eastern Greece started new directions in math and sciences. The next group moved from eastern to western Greece and into theological inquiries, notably Pythagoras. His philosophy meshed mathematical, moral, and theological ideas and fundamentally influenced Plato and the development of Western philosophy for 1,000 years. We’ll see atomic, “Big Bang” and evolutionary theories; new ethical, rhetorical, and logical modes of thought; and diverse, colorful views of Cynics, Hedonists, Sophists, Stoics. We’ll read Plato’s Symposium, the most accessible and enjoyable of Plato’s dialogues featuring Socrates that vividly presents his iconic theory of Ideas. And Aristotle’s key ethical ideas. A fascinating and illuminating journey through the diverse landscapes that enabled the development of Western philosophical thinking to flourish.
Hybrid Course Format
- All classes will be delivered in-person and online via live video streaming. Students will enroll in their preferred format during registration.
- In-person classes will be held in the Rubel Room at the University of Arizona's Poetry Center (1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85721). Enrollment for in-person classes is limited by classroom capacity and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. All students attending on-campus will observe the relevant University of Arizona policies designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 (more information here). Students who enroll to participate in person will also have complete online access to the course, including all class recordings.
- Online students may attend all classes via live video streaming and will be able to participate in all course Q&A sessions with the professor in real-time. Students may also access class recordings for a limited time to assist those who may not be able to attend the live class times. Online access will be password protected and only available to enrolled students.
