NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY

PHSC 105: HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY (Ancient)

7:30-9:30 WED || Room: St. Benedict + 9:30-10:30 WED || Room: St. Jerome
Fr. Mark Ian Peliño, CP

COURSE SYLLABUS

DESCRIPTION:
This course will trace the historical development of philosophical thoughts in the Western world.
As history, we shall discuss the influences of the Hellenistic culture and traditions in the
beginning and flourishing of Philosophy. As a philosophy, we shall delve into the important
school of thought in the ancient period that affected or influenced the school of thought of the
succeeding periods in philosophy. This course is both historical and philosophical.

MODALITY:
A great deal of work will be done by the instructor as the course will be lectured in plenary
conferences. Nonetheless, interruptions that elicit philosophical discussions are most welcome.
Since this is a class in history, then, readings will be taken from the primary texts written by the
philosophers or translated to us in English by a recommended translator of philosophical texts.
Students, therefore, are expected to be able to read, comprehend, and articulate in speech or in
writing any philosophical works.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT:
1. Classroom management: Attendance, announcements, and recap of the previous
day’s discussion will be tackled 15 mins before the class proper.
2. Attendance: Students are expected to turn out 1/8 sheet of paper every after class for
lingering questions, take-away reflections, and attendance.
3. Tardiness: Students are expected to abide by the school’s rules on tardiness. Classes
shall begin after the classroom management. In the event that the instructor will be
late, the class beadle shall conduct the classroom management, as instructed.
4. Seat plan: Students are expected to be seated according to their desired area on the
seat plan at all times. This is for the student’s identification.
5. Beadle: A class beadle will be selected by the students. The beadle is the instructor’s
conduit to the other students.
6. Instructor’s Desk:
a. Address: St. Gabriel Seminary, Purok San Gabriel, Koronadal City
b. Contact info: pilosopo.ian@gmailcom 0927-391-70-10
c. Consultation Time: As scheduled, Wednesday PM

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. 10-page term paper on the Triumvirate at the end of the semester (30%)
2. Attendance (10%)
 3. Written Midterm Exams (30%)
4. Individual Final Oral Exams – 15mins (30%)

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. PROLEGOMENA
a. History of Ancient Western Philosophy: Philosophy or History?
i. Brief Survey of the Periods in Western Philosophy
ii. Periods in Western Ancient Philosophy
iii. Sources of Ancient Western Philosophy
iv. Aristotle: First Historiographer of Philosophy
b. Reading a Philosophical Text in the Context of History
c. Ancient Greece: The Beginning of Western Philosophy
II. PRE-SOCRATIC PERIOD
a. Milesians: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes
b. Xenophanes
c. Pythagoras
d. Eleatics: Parmenides, Zeno
e. Heraclitus
f. Pluralists: Empedocles, Anaxagoras
g. Atomism of Democritus
h. Sophists
III. TRIUMVIRATE OF WESTERN ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
a. Socrates
b. Plato
c. Aristotle
IV. HELLENISTIC PERIOD
a. Stoicism
b. Epicureanism
c. Skepticism
d. Other Philosophical Themes from the Ancient World
V. TOWARDS THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
VI. RECAPITULATION

PRIMARY REFERENCES:

The following books will be used as primary references for the entire semester. The instructor
will be giving out electronic copies of these materials, although they can be accessed now in
various online libraries.

Barnes, Jonathan. The Presocratic Philosopher. (London: Routledge, 1982).

Callahan, Fr. Ronan, CP. Ancient Philosophy. Unpublished class notes. Nd.
Cohen, S. Marc, Patricia Curd, and CDC Reeve. Eds. Ancient Greek Philosophy: From
Thales to Aristotle. 9th Ed. (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 2011)
Composta, Dario. History of Ancient Philosophy. (Bangalore: Theological Publications in
India, 2016)
Diels, H., Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. 3 Vols. 10th Ed. revised by W. Kranz. Berlin, 1961.
Freeman, K., Ancilla to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers: A Complete Translation of the
Fragments in Diels’ Fragmente Der Vorsokratiker. Oxford, 1984.
__________, Companion to the Pre-Socratic Philosophers: A Companion to Diels’ Fragmente
Der Vorsokratiker. Oxford, 1946.
Robinson, John Mansley., An Introduction to Early Greek Philosophy: The Chief Fragments
and Ancient Testimony, with Connecting Commentary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company, 1968.
Kirk, G.S. and Raven, J.E., The Pre-Socratic Philosophers. Cambridge University Press, 1971.
Kenny, A., Ancient Philosophy in A New History of Western Philosophy. Vol 1. Clarendon
Press: Oxford, 2004.

Besides listed, a series of primary text documents will be made available to the class as required
readings to facilitate our discussion on specific philosophers or philosophical thought.

Wisdom 7:22-26
The Nature of Wisdom
There is in her (wisdom) a spirit that is intelligent, holy,
22b

unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, unpolluted,

distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen,
irresistible, 23 beneficent, humane,
steadfast, sure, free from anxiety,
all-powerful, overseeing all,
and penetrating through all spirits
that are intelligent, pure, and altogether subtle.
24
For wisdom is more mobile than any motion;
because of her pureness, she pervades and penetrates all things.
25
For she is a breath of the power of God,
and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore, nothing defiled gains entrance into her.
26
For she is a reflection of eternal light,
a spotless mirror of the working of God,
and an image of his goodness.