STEPHEN PURYEAR | TEACHING
I typically teach two of the department's offerings in the history of philosophy: Ancient Philosophy (PHI 300) and Early Modern Philosophy (PHI 301). These courses cover the two greatest periods in the history of philosophy and provide the background necessary for understanding much of the work being done in philosophy today. As such, they form, along with logic, the backbone of the philosophy curriculum. I also supervise a number of projects for our writing course in the history of philosophy (PHI 495).
PHI 300 - Ancient Philosophy
A study of the
greatest philosophers and philosophical movements of the ancient period (ca. 600
B.C.-200 A.D.), with special reference to their views on how we should live in
order to maximize our chances for happiness (or a good life). The primary focus will be on Plato and Aristotle, but we will also study representatives of
Epicureanism (Lucretius), Stoicism (Epictetus), and skepticism (Sextus
Empiricus).
PHI 301 - Early Modern Philosophy
A study of the ideas and arguments of the greatest
philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including René
Descartes (1596-1650), John Locke (1632-1704), David Hume (1711-1776), Jean
Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), and
Immanual Kant (1724-1804). Topics will include the existence of God, the nature of the mind,
political philosophy, and the foundations of ethics.
PHI 495 - Writing in the History of Philosophy
A substantial (2000-4000 word) paper in history of philosophy that philosophy majors
complete in addition to the work assigned for the corequisite (either PHI 300 or PHI 301).
If you are a philosophy major enrolled in PHI 300 or PHI 301 and you would like me to
supervise your PHI 495 project, please contact me toward the beginning of the
semester. You will need to print
this form, fill it out, and bring it to me
for my signature.
