| Unit name | History of Thought |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS22366 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lampe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit introduces students to a selection of modes of thought which became typical for a range of genres and disciplines. Well be looking at the ways in which Greek and Roman thinkers identified and divided possible topics of inquiry, contested the appropriate methods of research and argument, and began to establish criteria of proof and disproof. Our readings and discussions will range from the beginnings of Greek science (the so-called Pre-Socratic philosophers) to the applied ethics of Cicero. Students should acquire a basic grasp of some of the fundamental ideas of the ancients in physics, ethics, politics, and medicine. They should begin to appreciate the debates and borrowings among these thinkers as specializations emerged and boundaries were set and re-set. Finally, they should have opportunities in discussion and in written work to question, synthesize, and make sense of these ideas and debates.
