Fall 2005

ANS 301M • World Philosophy

Course Description

This course introduces the major traditions of philosophy by way of cross-cultural examination of major questions. What is knowledge, and how is it acquired? Under what conditions is a belief justified? What is the self or person? What is real and what mere appearance? How should we live? And so on. Socrates and Plato within ancient Greek philosophy, Confucius and Lao Tzu within Chinese philosophy, the Buddhist Nagarjuna and schools of classical Indian philosophy, as well as Ibn Sina (Avicenna) within Islamic philosophy and the Ethiopian philosopher, Zera Yacob, will be discussed along with a few authors of the modern and contemporary periods.

Texts

Confucius, Analects Plato, Meno packet of photocopies postings on the web

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