PHGA 7016 Hellenistic Philosophy
Professor Brian Johnson
Spring 2008
Friday, 4:30–6:30 PM

During the past fifty years, the study of philosophy from the Hellenistic era (after Aristotle and before Augustine) has undergone an exciting revival. In light of this revival, we shall examine some of the major philosophies of the Hellenistic period. Using the sourcebook The Hellenistic Philosophers (ed. Long and Sedley), we will begin with a brief study of Skepticism (both Academic and Pyrrhonian). Next, we will examine the metaphysics of materialism and the ethics of pleasure as it is found in Epicureanism. Finally, in the largest part of our study, we will examine the doctrines of the Stoics. Particular attention will be given to the practice of Stoicism. Towards this latter goal, we will supplement the Long and Sedley sourcebook by reading portions from Cicero’s On Moral Ends, Epictetus’s Discourses, and Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. Work for the class includes a term paper, a presentation, and regular attendance.