This course offers the student a thorough overview of ancient philosophy from its inception in Miletus to one of the great pinnacles of Western philosophy in Plato's Academy. I have divided the material we will cover into three sections. We will spend the first part of the course examining an eclectic group of philosophers who are loosely included under the heading "pre-Socratic"; of those we will study in detail a few who had a profound influence on Plato: the Pythagoreans, Heraclitus, and Parmenides. The second part of the course will highlight Plato's early dialogues, which many scholars assume paint a realistic picture of Plato's teacher, Socrates. In a number of these early dialogues, we find Socrates engaged in conversation with various so-called Sophists; the interlocutors in these discussions range from the vitriolic to the downright humorous. The questions I would like us to answer are these: What exactly is a Sophist?, What is the distinction between a Sophist and Socrates?, What influence did Sophistry have on Plato? In the last part of the class, we will read and discuss some of Plato's most challenging dialogues from his middle and late periods: Phaedo, Republic, Parmenides, Theaetetus, and Sophist. In these dialogues, Socrates' character becomes the spokesperson for Plato's own theories, and one of the things you should be thinking about is what, exactly, differentiates a "Platonic" dialogue from a "Socratic" one. In the Sophist, Plato addresses a number of thorny issues about definition, non-being, and falsehood which had plagued him through most of his life. I think you will find his answer to these problems a fitting conclusion to this course.

Your final grade will be determined by your grades on the examinations (each counting 1/6) and the papers (each counting 1/6). In borderline cases, class performance will be taken into account.

The two mid-terms and final examination will be multiple choice, identification, and true/false: they are tests of your absorption of information and do not call for any particular philosophical acumen. You are responsible for material introduced in class and material in the texts and handouts that is discussed in class.

The three (3) papers are to be short: each 4-5 pp. typewritten, or the equivalent (1,000- 1,500 words).

Topics will be distributed to the class at least a week prior to the assigned due date.

The papers are to be original work, involving philosophical criticism of ancient Greek positions and arguments on philosophical questions. You are not required to use any material beyond the assigned reading, and I prefer that you don't; these are not to be 'research' papers so much as papers that express your own reflection on the philosophers and philosophical issues dealt with. If you do use any outside material, whether it is assigned reading or additional material, you must provide full references.

Plagiarism, cheating, and student conduct: I strictly adhere to the FSU Academic Honor Code published in The Florida State University Bulletin and the Student Handbook.

"Gordon Rule" requirement: You are required by FSU's interpretation of the so-called Gordon Rule to write a total of 3,000 words for this course. The combination of the three papers should satisfy this requirement.

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should: 1. Register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC); 2. Bring a letter to the instructor from the SDRC indicating you need academic accommodations. This should be done within the first week of class.