Classics 160 - Confucius and Socrates

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

Asian Studies, Philosophy Confucius (551-469 B.C.E.) and Socrates (470-399 B.C.E.) stand at the head of the Chinese and Greek philosophical traditions, above all in the realm of ethical and political inquiry. There is both a Confucian and a Socratic "problem": we cannot be sure that anywords attributed to either were actually theirs, and there are growing differences among the subsequent thinkers and schools that pursued their work in either's name. In search of Confucius, students read the complete Analects and selections from Mencius and Xunzi; in search of Socrates, they read dialogues by Plato and Xenophon and key passages in Aristotle and the Cynics. The class reads the two sets of texts concurrently, asking comparative questions: What differences can be seen in the accounts given of the virtues each thinker put forward as most essential to fulfilling one's humanity? Why is neither an advocate of democracy?

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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