PHIL 5528 Skepticism, Stoicism, and Neo-Platonism

Ancient philosophy is the period following Aristotle and stretching into the third century A.D., Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy. A number of philosophical schools flourished: Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism, Middle-Platonism, Neo-Platonism. Some had sophisticated answers to questions in epistemology, ethics, and metaphysics: Does the human mind use mental language? Are we responsible for our thoughts? Is pleasure the goal of life? What kinds of emotions does the wise person have? Can Plato's account of the Forms be enriched by Aristotle's account of God? What is the metaphysical status of Socrates' "daimon"? The primary emphases of the course are Stoicism and the Platonisms.

Course overview

Department
Philosophy
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Both
Offered
Every 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)

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Official evaluation summary

4.02 / 5

Based on 25 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 2024, Spring 2023 · Official rating 3.82/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Sarah Byers · Stokes Hall 403N TuTh 01:30PM-02:45PM · Offered