PHIL 221 Greek Philosophy (Same as Classics 221) (Not offered 1999-2000)

What is now called Greek philosophy was, in Classical Athens, one current in a larger intellectual debate about what kind of knowledge, and hence what kind of education, a person needed to live well. This course will begin with an examination of Plato's views on this question, considered in the context of two rival views about knowledge and the good life: that of rhetoric or the art of persuasion (Gorgias), and that of politics or the art of citizenship (Protagoras). Plato's criticisms of these two positions and his own positive attempts to specify the contents of knowledge and to develop an educational program open up further questions: Is the kind of knowledge needed for living well possible, given our cognitive faculties and our social environment? Is there any benefit in seeking approximations of this kind of knowledge? After Plato, we will turn to three different ancient responses to him: Aristotle, the Stoics, and the Skeptics. We will look at their criticisms of Plato's views and at their own alternative views about the content of knowledge, the possibility of acquiring it, the purposes and methods of education, and the relationship between knowledge and living well. Requirements: one in-class presentation, four 4- to 5-page papers and a final exam. Prerequisite: Philosophy 101 or 102.