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Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
Explore the foundational ideas of Western philosophy from ancient Greece to the Hellenistic period.
DSM
Dr. Sarah Mitchell
Classical Philosophy Scholar
12 weeks
2,847 students
4.9 (312 reviews)
English
$299
30-day money-back guarantee
Lifetime access
Certificate of completion
What You'll Learn
Understand key concepts from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
Apply ancient wisdom to modern problems
Develop critical thinking skills
Engage in philosophical dialogue
Course Topics
Thales and the search for first principles
Heraclitus and the doctrine of flux
Parmenides and the problem of change
Atomism: Democritus and material reality
Protagoras: "Man is the measure of all things"
Gorgias and the power of rhetoric
The sophistic challenge to objective truth
Relevance to modern post-truth era
The Socratic method and questioning
Knowledge and ignorance: "I know that I know nothing"
The trial and death of Socrates
Applying Socratic inquiry to modern problems
The allegory of the cave
The divided line and levels of reality
The Form of the Good
Virtual reality and Plato's cave today
The ideal state and the soul
The philosopher-king concept
Justice in the individual and society
Modern applications of Platonic political thought
The Organon and formal logic
Causation and the four causes
Scientific method in ancient Greece
Aristotelian logic in AI and computing
The concept of eudaimonia (flourishing)
Virtue ethics and the golden mean
Practical wisdom (phronesis)
Aristotelian ethics in professional life
Humans as political animals
Forms of government and constitutions
Art, tragedy, and catharsis
Community and storytelling in digital age
Origins and development of Stoicism
Physics, logic, and ethics
Key Stoic texts and thinkers
Stoicism's modern resurgence
Epicurus and the pursuit of pleasure
Atomism and the fear of death
The garden and philosophical community
Epicurean wisdom for consumer culture
Pyrrho and ancient skepticism
Diogenes and the Cynic lifestyle
Challenging social conventions
Skepticism in the age of information
How ancient philosophy shapes modern thought
Ancient wisdom for contemporary challenges
Building your philosophical toolkit
Creating a personal philosophy of life
Requirements
- No prior philosophy knowledge required
- Interest in fundamental questions
- Willingness to engage with complex ideas
This Course Includes
48 hours of video content
24 lessons
Downloadable resources
Certificate of completion
Access on mobile and desktop
Lifetime access