Subject Area: Philosophy

Aristotle is a giant in Western thought. His achievements can be gauged by the way those who came after him felt obliged to attack him. His Posterior Analytics provide a rich source of ideas which indicate his perspective on our ability to understand the world. A close reading of this primary text with other supporting texts illuminate a cluster of issues which have changed significantly over time. By focussing on learning how to read this text students come to appreciate that it is not just the substantive views of science which have changed over time but even more significantly the questions we think are important to ask.

This course is aimed at teaching students how to read philosophical texts. Learning how to uncover not just the views a philosopher is articulating but also the questions their theories are designed to answer.