Ancient Greek Philosophy

HSF6002 – What is the meaning of existence? What is the nature of truth? These were the questions asked by ancient Greek philosophers more than 2,500 years ago, inaugurating a tradition which in some ways continues down to the present day. This course, however, situates Greek philosophy in its original intellectual and religious setting, and in the context of a multipolar vision of philosophy’s nature and ideals, presenting the core elements of ancient Greek metaphysics at once as the science of Being, and as the Pagan wisdom tradition of the West. The course begins with the philosophical elements present in mythic cosmogonies and the emergence of philosophical inquiry in the Pre-Socratics, proceeds to its main focus on Plato and Aristotle, briefly treats developments in Hellenistic and early Imperial philosophy, then concludes with the ultimate synthesis of ancient philosophy, the Neoplatonism of late antiquity as presented by its most systematic advocate, Proclus.