Chevron Left
Back to Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors by University of Pennsylvania

4.8
stars
761 ratings

About the Course

What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is an underlying order to the changing world. Parmenides of Elea formulated a powerful objection to all these proposals, while later Greek theorists (such as Anaxagoras and the atomist Democritus) attempted to answer that objection. In fifth-century Athens, Socrates insisted on the importance of the fundamental ethical question—“How shall I live?”—and his pupil, Plato, and Plato’s pupil, Aristotle, developed elaborate philosophical systems to explain the nature of reality, knowledge, and human happiness. After the death of Aristotle, in the Hellenistic period, Epicureans and Stoics developed and transformed that earlier tradition. We will study the major doctrines of all these thinkers. Part I will cover Plato and his predecessors. Part II will cover Aristotle and his successors....

Top reviews

IH

May 6, 2018

Loved every minute of it! A big thank you to professor Susan Sauve Meyer - it was beautiful experience, I wish the course would be intimately wider.

ET

Feb 19, 2022

The course did not only serve as a refresher course on Aristotle, it actually capacitated me to know more and anew. Thank you for this program.

Filter by:

151 - 175 of 231 Reviews for Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors

By Умирзакова Л А

•

Jan 21, 2025

Спасибо за курс, было интересно и познавательно

By Sohail z

•

Sep 8, 2023

It was really a wonderful intellectual lessons.

By Nikolaos S

•

Jun 7, 2021

Excellent course! I learned many useful things!

By VARNIKA S

•

Oct 9, 2022

very knowledgable content helped to learn alot

By JOANN T D

•

Sep 13, 2025

Muy interesante sobre la vida de Aristóteles.

By Chengyue Z

•

Jun 30, 2020

wonderful introduction to ancient philosophy

By Andrés F M M

•

Jun 2, 2020

Very interesting course. Fully recommended.

By Luiz F F

•

Mar 3, 2018

Amazing content. I enjoyed and lernt a lot.

By George C M

•

Apr 20, 2016

Good course well presented and interesting.

By Marinka V

•

Feb 13, 2023

Inspiring course. Also for practical use.

By Sarah D

•

Apr 7, 2017

A very detailed and comprehensive course.

By Edi d

•

Sep 26, 2016

I got more out of it than I had expected.

By Hercules C

•

May 3, 2021

Very well-structured! Congratulations!

By Russell D

•

Feb 7, 2017

Excellent introduction to Aristotle.

By Simón A C G

•

Sep 15, 2021

the pace and structure are amazing

By kiara a

•

Jul 22, 2020

MUY BUEN CURSO,CON TEMAS COMPLETOS

By Bart S

•

Jan 24, 2020

excellent survey, learned a lot!!

By Patrick W

•

Jul 10, 2017

Extremely interesting! Thank you!

By PATRICIA T E

•

Sep 6, 2025

Excelente curso, me gustó mucho!

By Prashant S S

•

May 3, 2019

Very nice and informative course

By 김하희

•

Aug 11, 2018

I loved this lecture. Thank you!

By JOHN Q

•

Mar 18, 2016

Great course. Thanks so much.

By MARIA G J P

•

Sep 12, 2025

Excelente muy bien explicado

By Kacper “ G

•

Feb 19, 2020

Clara Non Sunt Interpretanda