CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY/DRAMA

"I Think, Therefore I Am." ~ Descartes

Students will examine concepts such as truth, existence, reality, and reason as defined across the ages, from Classical to modern "lovers of wisdom," in our attempt to define our place in the universe.

 

Works Studied 

• “Big Questions,” Simon Blackburn

• "The Apology," Plato

• "The Allegory of the Cave," "Book VII" of Plato's Republic

• "Consolations for Popularity," Alain de Botton

• from "Plato's forms, Plato

• from "Utlilitarianism," Mill

• from  "Fundamental Principles of Metaphysics and Morals," Kant

•  "Epicurean Ethics" and "Stoic Guidelines for Living"

• from "Philosophy: An Introduction to the Art of Wondering," James L. Christian

 

Additional Links:

• "The Apology," by Plato, notes: http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/Cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html

• "The Allegory of the Cave," text: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.8.vii.html

• ​"The Allegory of the Cave," notes: http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Allegory_of_the_cave.html

• "Utopia," by Sir Thomas More, notes: http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/utopia/more1/moreutopia.html

 

Unit Vocabulary

 

Ethos                            Pathos                            Logos                   Argument                    Dialogue                          Speech   

Metaphysics                Epistemology                Ethics                  Political philosophy   Existentialism                Logic

Aesthetics                    Religious philosophy   Ontology             Phenomenology          Deductive Reasoning    Syllogism

Inductive Reasoning  Allegory                         Metaphor            Symbol                         Allusion                          Irony

Hyperbole                    Understatement           Satire

 

 

 

Semester Research