PHIL 4405 Greek Philosophy

This course is organized around the central philosophical questions asked and answered, in various ways, by philosophers in the ancient Greek-speaking world. We will consider the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and, more briefly, some Hellenistic authors such as Plutarch, Epictetus, and Plotinus. Topics include theories of material bodies and of change; whether anything immaterial or immutable exists, and if so whether it is single or multiple and its relation to this changing world; the human soul; and the question of the criterion of truth, and the process by which humans may come to know; the question of the criterion of ethics.

Course overview

Department
Philosophy
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Periodically in the Fall,Periodically in the Spring

Catalog details

Prerequisites
Must have completed Philosophy core.

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

  • Ancient Greek: III. One elective: either Greek (intermediate or above) or a course on Greek civilization (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Official evaluation summary

3.84 / 5

Based on 58 aggregate responses from BC Avalanche/Blue evaluations.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-08-02. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Sarah Byers
    Fall 2026, Spring 2025, Fall 2023, Fall 2021 · Official rating 3.88/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Sarah Byers · Devlin Hall 10 TuTh 12:00 Noon-01:15PM · Offered