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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors by University of Pennsylvania

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About the Course

What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is an underlying order to the changing world. Parmenides of Elea formulated a powerful objection to all these proposals, while later Greek theorists (such as Anaxagoras and the atomist Democritus) attempted to answer that objection. In fifth-century Athens, Socrates insisted on the importance of the fundamental ethical question—“How shall I live?”—and his pupil, Plato, and Plato’s pupil, Aristotle, developed elaborate philosophical systems to explain the nature of reality, knowledge, and human happiness. After the death of Aristotle, in the Hellenistic period, Epicureans and Stoics developed and transformed that earlier tradition. We will study the major doctrines of all these thinkers. Part I will cover Plato and his predecessors. Part II will cover Aristotle and his successors....

Top reviews

LC

Aug 4, 2023

Its short duration course but so much new knowledge and conceptual. Really like the way of Socrates questioning and moreover their analysis argument is whole new best ever.

LL

Mar 9, 2016

Good intro to early Greek philosophy. Dr Meyer has a simple and subtly humorous approach to the material. Dr Meyer makes the subject approachable so that the student wants to do further reading.

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376 - 400 of 476 Reviews for Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors

By Phoebe

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Mar 1, 2017

Good course!

By Oky T S

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Aug 31, 2016

Impressive !

By Eben E S

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Mar 30, 2025

Insightful!

By authier m

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Jan 30, 2025

super cours

By Paddy B

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May 19, 2020

Good Course

By ÉCOLE D L V

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Dec 31, 2019

Love it !!!

By Matías I V N

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Jun 30, 2019

good choise

By Nancy M

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Apr 18, 2019

outstanding

By Christophe v

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Apr 3, 2016

excellent !

By Anália L S d M

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Apr 23, 2020

EXCELLENT!

By Juan S G P

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Sep 20, 2018

Excellent!

By Paccelli Z

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May 5, 2017

Excellent!

By Laís L

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Jan 19, 2017

Excelente!

By 王雨嘉

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Jul 10, 2016

Wonderful.

By Ernesto M F

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May 8, 2021

Excelente

By Theo S C

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Oct 19, 2020

excelente

By Abdulaziz S B

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Dec 13, 2019

Excellent

By Болат А

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Oct 9, 2024

Классно

By Achilleas F

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Jun 3, 2020

Amazing

By Leonel D

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Oct 10, 2022

lindo

By Muna A

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Apr 23, 2019

Thanks

By Ramiro V

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Aug 24, 2018

Great!