It is commonly claimed that
philosophy originated in Greece.
This claim is becoming increasingly
more controversial both in
and outside of the academy.
Did philosophy originate in
Greece? Or is it derivative
from Egyptian thought? To understand
these questions, we shall try
to come up with an understanding
of the practice of philosophy
in general and of whether there
is a “Greek philosophy” in
particular.
After considering this, we
shall read the Greek philosophers
themselves, beginning with
the group of thinkers known
as the Pre-Socratics and then
moving on to a study of Socrates,
Plato and Aristotle. We will
end the course with a brief
consideration of the group
of thinkers known as the Hellenistic
philosophers, who came into
prominence after the death
of Aristotle.
