PHIL 332(S) Aristotle (Same as Classics 332)
Aristotle's status as a central figure in Western philosophy is undisputed. For hundreds of years during the Middle Ages, Aristotle was simply referred to as "The Philosopher." Aristotle is also credited with the invention of logic, biology, physics, political science, linguistics, and aesthetics. His writings on metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics set the course for much of the subsequent philosophical discussion which continues to the present day. In this class, we will examine some of Aristotle's central metaphysical, epistemological and ethical views. There are two main objectives in this course: (1) We will work to sympathetically reconstruct Aristotle's views from translations of his primary texts; (2) We will investigate the extent to which these views are relevant to contemporary discussions in philosophy.
Format: lecture and discussion. Requirements: several short writing assignments, final paper, attendance and active participation in class.
Prerequisites: Philosophy 101 or 102 or 221. Enrollment limit: 15 (expected: 12).
Hour: MCPARTLAND