PHI305: Intensive Study of a Text in Classical Philosophy
Key details
| Accredited towards | Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts |
| Unit type | Elective unit |
| Credit points | 6 |
| Indicative contact hours | Delivered in intensive mode over 2 weeks |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Offered in | Visit Short Courses for further details |
| Tuition fee | Learn more |
Overview
The Phaedo is a dramatization of Socrates’ final conversation with friends in prison, before drinking hemlock and dying. (Drinking the hemlock was his appointed punishment after he was found guilty by the city of Athens of denying the city’s gods and corrupting the young.) In it, Socrates describes his own life as a philosopher, relates his dissatisfaction with the philosophic teaching he encountered as a youth and his resultant turn towards a new way of pursuing wisdom, and explores arguments for the immortality of the soul. The class will read the entire dialogue, in a scrupulously literal translation, paying careful attention both to its philosophical content and to its literary character. A copy of the text will be provided to all enrolled students.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit of study, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the major themes and questions in the text.
- Evaluate critically the arguments presented in the text;
- Appreciate the significance of the author’s choice of the literary form of the text;
- Write well-argued and well-structured essays and appropriately use references and bibliographies according to academic conventions.
Interested in other Philosophy units?
PHI101: Introduction to Philosophy
PHI102: Metaphysics
PHI202: Moral Philosophy
PHI204: Political Philosophy
PHI301: Modern Philosophy
PHI302: Social and Political Philosophy
PHI303: Philosophy of Language
PHI304: Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy
PHI305: Intensive Study of a Text in Classical Philosophy
PHI306: Intensive Study of a Text in Modern Philosophy