Social and Political Philosophy I

This course is based on classic texts in the history of philosophy, starting from the ancient Greek period through to the Renaissance. The course is equally divided into Philosophy and English Language parts. While both parts of the course focus on the same set of texts, the emphasis and assessment criteria for each are different. The Philosophy part places more emphasis on evaluating the ideas and arguments expressed by each philosopher. Questions to be considered include: What does it mean to live one's life well? Is there a single true morality? How can we know what is the right and the wrong thing to do? Why should I do the right thing? The English part will place more emphasis on developing the ability to read and interpret challenging texts, as well as the ability to communicate verbally and in writing. Thus, the English part uses the original texts to further develop the goals achieved during first year English courses (ENG 101/102).