Philosophy 275 - Finding Socrates

A man named Socrates lived in Athens, Greece, during the 5th century BCE. He was tried on grounds of impiety and corruption of the young, found guilty by a jury of approximately 500 of his fellow Athenians, and executed. During his life, Socrates was also engaged in a practice that was later dubbed “philosophy.”  His importance in determining the scope and methods of the discipline is indicated by the fact that Greek philosophers who preceded him are typically referred to as “Presocratic.”  But, as a philosopher, it is not entirely clear what Socrates believed.  He never wrote down any of his views.  In fact, Socrates is famous for denying that he had any wisdom of any significance.  And yet, despite this apparent humility, later philosophers (Plato and Aristotle) and a contemporary playwright (Aristophanes) and historian (Xenophon) represent him as holding very definite views, supported by arguments, about how to live our best lives.  Unfortunately, their reports are not consistent.  In this course, we will be concerned to answer two questions: (1) What sort of evidence is relevant to determining the views of a philosopher who lived over two millennia ago? (2) What should we make of the views and arguments of this philosopher? In addition to the writing in translation that we can access from Amherst, MA, we will have the opportunity to learn more about Socrates by traveling to Athens, Greece over spring break to retrace Socrates’ own footsteps, learn from local Athenian historians, and explore carefully curated museum exhibits on Ancient Greek culture and society. (H)
 

This course has no prerequisites, though one must apply to be admitted to the course.  Course enrollment will be limited to 12 students.

Spring semester. Professor Gentzler

How to handle overenrollment: Other things being equal, preference will be given to Philosophy and Classics majors.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, readings, independent research, oral presentations, group work, and class participation.