graphic of God w/ cloud
AGRS 130S :  The God of the Philosophers in Ancient Greece
Dwinelle 130
TuTh
G.R.F. (John) Ferrari
3:30 - 5:00

In this course we will investigate the conceptions of divinity put forward by the principal philosophers and philosophic schools of thought in ancient Greece. We will investigate their ideas both in relation to the religious background of the time — which philosophers felt was in need of reform — and as an exercise in abstract philosophic thinking. Most Greek philosophers made God central to their way of understanding the world; but their conceptions of God differed significantly. We will consider the details and the grounds of their disagreement. Philosophers and philosophic schools to be studied (in selection) include Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, Epicureans, Stoics, and Plotinus. All texts are to be read in translation. The course is taught through discussion rather than lecture; hence, regular attendance and participation, including groupwork and debates, is essential. Other requirements are: two take-home written assignments (open-book), the first involving analysis of particular passages of text, the second, a quiz and a 1200-word essay. The course has no formal prerequisites, although it would be an asset to have completed an introductory course in Greek culture such or in Greek philosophy.