Corrupting the Youth: Ancient Greek Philosophy

Catalog description

It is probably no exaggeration to say that the entire Western intellectual cannon can trace its roots to the first Philosophers in fifth-century BCE Greece. By far the most famous, was Socrates. So, should we be disturbed that he was sentenced to death for 'corrupting the youth'? We will look at the claims he made that resulted in his execution, before focusing on the ways in which his student, Plato, built upon and systematized these ideas. We will close by looking at Plato's student, Aristotle, widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in human history, and of whom it has been said, "it is doubtful whether any human being has ever known as much as he did." Prerequisite: EN 101 or EN 102 with a grade of C or better.