The University of Chicago Summer
The World of Greek Philosophy | Summer
The World of Greek Philosophy

The World of Greek Philosophy


Course Description

This course will serve as an introduction to ancient Greek philosophy and literature of the pre-Classical, Classical, and Hellenistic Greek world, and their conceptions that at once influence and differ from our own. In addition to discussing traditional Greek understandings of virtue, honor, and happiness, we will consider how intellectual life was believed to help people find meaning, purpose, and self-fulfillment and shape their ethics. We will recreate the experience of Greek intellectual culture in simulated marketplace disputations and (nonalcoholic) symposia while reading and discussing works from Pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripides, Euclid, and the Stoics, in an effort to understand not just what but how they thought.

Discussion Intensive
The majority of class time will be devoted to seminar-style learning.

Academic Interest

Humanities (e.g, arts, philosophy)

Application Materials

A complete application includes a transcript, two short essays, a letter of recommendation, writing sample, application fee, and a submitted parent confirmation. If you are seeking need-based financial aid, you must indicate that in your application before it is submitted. Please refer to the Application Instructions for complete details.

Instructor(s)

Arnold Brooks

Cost

$8,900

Need-based financial aid is available. Students should refer the Costs & Aid page and apply for aid when they submit their application to Summer Session.

Start Your Application

Course Duration

3 Week Immersion

Session

Session 2

Course Dates

July 7th - July 26th

Eligibility

9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade

Modality

Residential

Other Courses to Consider

These courses might also be of interest. Note: Students can apply for up to 4 courses and will be admitted to one.

  • What is Truth?
    What is Truth?

    Today more than ever we are confronted with the urgent question of what is true. From stories about supposedly stolen elections to conspiracy theories about vaccines and 5G, how we decide what counts as the truth is constantly up for debate – and the debates have potentially serious consequences. With politically polarized information in the news and new technologies like generative AI to circulate falsehoods on social media, it has never been more important to examine how we know what is true and to consider how we can argue and debate about our beliefs responsibly and effectively. This intensive course in analytical writing at the collegiate level will offer a chance to think through these issues and to develop the skills necessary to craft rhetorically-effective argumentative essays examining the nature of truth. In our readings, we will tackle classic texts from authors like Plato and Machiavelli alongside feminist and postcolonial critiques by figures like Donna Haraway and Frantz Fanon. We will also examine different instances of cultural production that define or redefine what people think of as true, focusing especially on the power of satire to unmask falsehoods and change our frame of thinking, from twentieth-century theatre like that of Dario Fo to twenty-first century television and streaming programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. In our writing sessions, we will work closely to refine the techniques of writing and revision that will allow you to transform your ideas and insights into powerful essays, using rhetorical instruction materials and small group workshops that replicate the intensive writing seminars taken by University of Chicago undergraduates in the Humanities Core.

    Residential
  • The Philosophy of Love
    The Philosophy of Love

    Love is one of the most important, profound things in life; and yet, it is notoriously hard to articulate just what love is. In this course, we will inquire about the nature of love, addressing some of the central questions that have occupied philosophers of love. Why do we love what we love? Who can love, and who can be loved? What does love demand of us, and how can we love well? What is the relationship between love and morality? And what is love? We will seek an understanding of love that can account, in particular, for the central role that love plays in human life – the sense in which it is “what makes the world go ‘round.” We will discuss historical and contemporary philosophical texts, such as Plato’s Symposium, bell hooks’ all about love, and Harry Frankfurt’s The Reasons of Love, as well as literature and film. In the course of our inquiry, we will consider the ways that philosophical reflection – with its focus on conceptual clarity, rational argumentation, and communicative precision – can be enriched by literature and film while, in turn, helping us to better understand literature, film, and life.

    Residential
  • The Philosophy of Life and Death
    The Philosophy of Life and Death

    The focus of this course will be how philosophy arises in response to problems in the conditions of human life, especially our mortality and the prevalence of social injustice. Every one of us will die one day; and every one of us suffers from and/or helps perpetuate some form of injustice. These can be sources of alienation, suffering, and bad choices; they can also be sources of conviction, bravery, and wisdom. We will aim to understand how philosophy fits into this picture, and especially how a person can use philosophy to find meaning for their life in relation to both death and injustice. Topics will include how the fear of death affects us in life, the prospect of “critical” consciousness in relation to death, and understanding the political dimensions of life & death. We will discuss ancient texts and figures, such as Plato’s Socrates and the Buddha, as well as contemporary philosophical work and social issues in the US and elsewhere.

    Residential