SECTION A

Who Were The Greeks?

Autum Term Essay
Bernal claims that the way in which we think of the ancient Greeks is
profoundly shaped by racism. Is this plausible? Does it matter?

Emergence of Philosophy
Autum Term Essay
Why did some early Greek philosophers want to reduce reality to a single
element or force? Is the choice between the different candidates (e.g. fire,
air, or water) simply arbitrary? If not, what makes one candidate better
than another?
Thales of Miletus is often held to be the first Western philosopher. What,
if anything, is distinctive about philosophical enquiry, as opposed to e.g.
poetry or mythic thought?

Xenophanes

Heraclitus
'For Heraclitus, it is both possible and impossible to step into the same
river twice.' Discuss.

Parmenides
Autumn Term Essay
On what grounds did Parmenides and his followers argue that change is
impossible?

2013
Articulate and assess Parmenides argument for the claim that what is
must be ungenerated and deathless.

Democritus and Leucippus

Hippocrates and Empedocles

Xenophons Socrates

Platos Gorgias
Autumn Term Essay
Is there any clear distinction to be drawn between philosophy and
rhetoric?

2014
Explicate and assess the role of aporia in Platos account of Socratic
philosophy.

In ancient philosophy, philosophy is thought of primarily as a way of life

rather than a body of doctrine. Focusing on either Plato or Aristotle, write
an essay focusing on the significance of this distinction for understanding
that authors philosophic work.

2015
Based on your reading of Plato, what role does beauty play in human
happiness
Critically assess Aristotles view that virtue is the mean between two
vices.

Platos Republic
Autum Term Essay
Critically discuss the analogy drawn in Platos Republic between the soul
and the city.

2013
The city-soul analogy that Socrates presents in the Republic is much
more than merely an illustrative analogy. Discuss.
Philosophy in the Republic is better exemplified by Socrates than it is by
the philosopher-rulers. Discuss.

2015
Based on your reading of Plato, what role does beauty play in human
happiness
Critically assess Aristotles view that virtue is the mean between two
vices.

Section B
Aristotles Political Philosophy
Spring Term Essay
What is the significance of Aristotles claim that man is a political animal?
How does Aristotle conceive of the relationship between ethics and
politics?

Aristotles Ethics
Spring Term Essay
How does Aristotle conceive of the relationship between ethics and
politics?

2013

Articulate and assess Aristotles distinction in the Categories among

beings between those that are said of something, those that are present
in something, and those that are neither said of nor present in
anything.
What is Aristotles distinction between first actuality and second actuality,
and what role does it play in his account of the soul?
Aristotle claims that virtue is a state marked by choice, residing in the
mean relative to us, a state defined by reason and as the prudent person
would define it. Does this account make virtue depend upon the choices of
particular individuals? Why or why not?
What, according to Aristotle, is the relation between thought and desire?
What, according to Aristotle, is the relation between friendship and selflove?
Articulate and assess Aristotles claim that the life of theory or
contemplation is the happiest human life.

2014
Explicate and assess the role of pleasure in Aristotles account of
happiness (eudaimonia) in the Nicomachean Ethics.
Explicate and critically assess Aristotles argument for the claim that we
are responsible for our state of character.

Explicate and critically assess Aristotles criticism in the Nicomachean

Ethics of the Platonists account of the good in itself.
Explicate and critically assess Aristotles account of the kind of ignorance
involved in lack of self-restraint (akrasia).
On Aristotles account in the Nicomachean Ethics, what is the relation
between pleasure and happiness (eudaimonia)?
In Book VI, chapter 13 of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle claims that
someone might be perplexed as to why wisdom and prudence are useful
(1143b18-19). Based on your reading of Aristotle, how would you respond
to this perplexity?
Briefly explain the following definition of virtue from Nicomachean Ethics
II.6.: Virtue, therefore, is a characteristic marked by choice, residing in the
mean relative to us, a characteristic defined by reason and as the prudent
person would define it.

Aristotles Biology

Epicureanism
Spring Term Essay
Should we be convinced by the claim of Epicurus and his followers that it
is irrational to fear death?
Can pleasure be the highest good for human beings?

Cynicism
Spring Term Essay
Is it really possible to be a cynic?

Neo-Platonism

Ancient Medicine

Avicenna

Averroes

UNSORTED
Section A
2013
Articulate and assess Socrates responses to Charmides attempts to
define temperance (sphrosun) in the Charmides.
Articulate and assess Socrates refutation of Polemarchus definition of
justice as helping friends and harming enemies.
Articulate and assess the critique of writing offered in Platos Phaedrus.
Is eros beautiful and good?

2014
What are Charmides three definitions of temperance (sphrosun) and
how does Socrates reply to each of these definitions?
What are the charges Socrates attributes to the first accusers in the
Apology and how do they differ from the charges of the later accusers?
What is the Aviary metaphor in the Theaetetus and what is it intended to
show?
What does Aristotle mean when he writes: Being is said in many ways but
always with reference to one meaning (Meta IV.2)?
Briefly explicate Aristotles four causes (aitia) and give an example of
each.
Explicate Aristotles definition of nature in Physics II.1.

2015
In Platos Apology of Socrates, Socrates is accused of disbelieving in the
gods of the city and introducing new foreign spiritual things. How does he
attempt to refute this charge and what does his attempted refutation
show us about his philosophic activity?
In the Charmides, Critias expects Socrates to agree with him that
temperance (sophrosun) is self-knowledge. In what sense, if any, would
we expect Socrates to identify sophrosun and self-knowledge? How

would you say Socrates understanding of self-knowledge differs from

Critias?
Explicate and critically assess the critique of written discourses offered in
the Phaedrus.
Why does Socrates reject, in the Phaedo, Anaxagoras account of mind,
and what does this rejection show us about Socrates understanding of
philosophy?