THE PRE-SOCRATICS—THE BIRTH OF PHILOSOPHY

Truly the first philosophers, the Pre-Socratics set in motion a revolution in Western thought by asking completely original questions: instead of asking “why” and “from where”, they asked “what” and “how”. What is the stuff of the universe? What is the sustaining principle of the whole? What is the ultimate reality? The Pre-Socratics reached answers by reasoning, not observation—a preposterously bold innovation in thought. But the price has been alienation. How do we relate to this ultimate reality now transformed into an object? This course explores how the Pre- Socratics laid the foundations for abstract thought in science, philosophy, and the humanities. We’ll see why we’re still looking for the answers to the questions they formulated and how we’ve been molded by their “way” of thinking. Are they still relevant? Our readings will focus on original Pre-Socratic fragments and later testimonies of philosophers ancient and modern.

COURSE LENGTH: 12 weeks
DISCUSSION TEAM: Carol Fiedler, Anne Kotiuga, Heather Stephens
FIRST SESSION: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 6:15 pm