Philosophical matters processing: Knowledge and the real in Plato and in Aristotle

The central subject of the course is the question about "what constitutes knowledge" and its associated question "when I know." The course examines the object of knowledge and its presuppositions and is divided into two parts. In the first part, which is related to Plato, we study the paradox of Meno, the distinction between intellect-sensible and mind-sense in Phaedo and the matching of objects and the kinds of knowledge in the "divided line" of The Republic. In the second part, which concerns Aristotle, we study his theory about science in selected excerpts of Prior Analytics, and his theory of entelechy knowledge On the Soul. A final lecture focuses on the recapitulation of the similarities and differences between the two approaches.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student: • will have a general but comprehensive overview of Plato and Aristotle's theories about knowledge, • will be able to recognize the different approaches of these two philosophers on the issue of what constitutes knowledge and also will be able to relate them in their different approaches as far as they concern the question of the definition and the nature of real, • will be able to connect the positions concerning the question of knowledge which are developing in different passages of each philosopher, • will be able to distinguish how and why the solutions that have been proposed by these two philosophers, regarding the problem of knowledge, are differentiated.

Prerequisites

Introductory knowledge of the basic positions of the platonic and aristotelian metaphysics and theory of knowledge

Syllabus

1st Section - The question of knowledge 2nd Section - Plato–Biography and works 3rd Section - How the problem of definition in Plato's Meno is situated 4th Section - The superiority of the intelligible over perceptible in Plato's Phaedo 5th Section - Objects and kinds of knowledge in The Republic 6th Section - Aristotle–Biography and works 7th Section - When do I know? 8th Section - The objects of knowledge and the objects of research 9th Section - The knowledge of things and the knowledge of principles 10th Section - Bibliography and Additional Material