Advanced Socrates

Catalog description

Socrates, citizen of Athens and one of the most celebrated thinkers in history, was sentenced to death by the democratic government under which he lived. We will not only consider why this happened, but also grapple with the impossible “Socratic Problem,” trying to gain a coherent sense of who Socrates really was. We will read in Greek excerpts from Aristophanes’ Clouds, the comedy that may well have played a role in his execution, and some strikingly different posthumous attempts (by Plato and Xenophon) to rehabilitate Socrates’ reputation. Other more minor evidence for Socrates’ life - some fragmentary - will be read in Greek or English. Satisfies Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement. Counts towards the Classical Languages and Literature major and as an elective for the Classical Studies major. Counts towards the interdisciplinary minor in Global Literary Theory. Counts towards Greek minor. Prerequisites & Notes GRE 201 or placement test. Not offered in 2026-2027