Philosophy 25A

In this course you will be introduced to philosophy by engaging with the ideas and arguments of the three most important ancient Greek philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They will help us consider how we should be living our lives, what justice is, how we can acquire knowledge, what knowledge is, what one gains from asking “what is it?” questions, what change is, whether we can understand anything in the natural world, and a host of other philosophical questions that were deeply influential on the rest of western philosophy. Along the way, you’ll work on the following skills: making and understanding arguments and objections, reading difficult texts carefully, and writing clearly and precisely about philosophy. You will be learning to do philosophy by engaging with its foundational works.