Great Minds: Ancient Philosophy - The Birth of Philosophy
Philosophy is far from dead! Many today are searching for the unique skills and insights it offers: critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and new ideas. Join us in discovering the founders of philosophy and the burning love for wisdom!
Mr. Kelsey P. ケルシー先生
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(373)
What's included
4 live meetings
5 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students have the option of previewing the handouts (available upon enrollment) and answering the questions that we will explore before class. This comes highly recommended as a way of getting a little familiar with the philosopher(s) and subject before they are detailed in class.Assessment
A comprehensive check for understanding (CFU, or "Mastery Check") will be given in the final lesson, as well as the end of each individual lesson, to review material and test for student comprehension.Class Experience
US Grade 8 - 11
Welcome to the first module of the Great Minds of Philosophy series! You are about to discover a whole new world through the eyes of those who changed history, gave birth to science and logic, and set the soaring standards for deep thinking that are the precursors to the field of philosophy. In this module you will learn the history and ideas of the "Big Three" lineage, namely Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, as well as those who set the stage for them in the generations preceding (known as the "Presocratics"). In this first part of "The Ancients," we will explore the ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology of these thinkers and in what ways they influence later history for us all. You will learn about the materialism and essentialism of the Presocratics, the virtue ethics of Socrates and his follows, and the metaphysical dimensions of the philosophical rock stars, Plato and his student Aristotle. -------------------------------------- MODULE OVERVIEW -------------------------------------- Module A - The Ancients (Part 1): The Birth of Ancient Philosophy Lesson 1: The Presocratics on Natural Reasoning Lesson 2: Socrates and the Birth of Philosophy Lesson 3: Plato and the Metaphysics of Idealism Lesson 4: Aristotle and Virtue Ethics Classes in this series are structured as follows: + Do Now - 5 minutes + Share Outs - 10 minutes + Direct Instruction - 30 minutes + Short Break - 5 minutes + Socratic Circle - 20 minutes + Mastery Check - 10 minutes + Next Steps - 2 minutes Do Now (5): Students are given a couple of minutes to read over an excerpt and some of the questions that will be addressed in class (often the same as those in the handout) while other are arriving to class. Share Outs (10): Following a quick self-introduction of the instructor for the first of each new module, students are invited to share their preliminary thoughts on the subject at hand and the excerpt read during the Do Now. Direct Instruction (30): The instructor provides background of the philosopher(s) and their time period as well as details of their philosophical ideas and innovations. Socratic Circle (20): Students and the instructor participate in a dialogue-based conversation to address the questions prompted at the beginning of class as well as additional questions posed by students to the group or each other. Mastery Check (10): Students are prompted with multiple choice- and short answer-type questions that are meant to serve as a CFU (check for understanding) in addition to solidifying key terms and content from class. Next Steps (2): Students are given an outline of what the topic of the following class will be and next steps to take in the meantime.
Learning Goals
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CLASS OBJECTIVES
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1 - The Presocratics on Natural Reasoning
- Getting familiar with some basic background on the Presocratic thinkers
- Introducing the movement toward naturalistic reasoning of causes in ancient
Greece
- Exploring the nature of rational discourse and how first principles-thinking is
relevant today
2 - Socrates and the Birth of Philosophy
- Getting familiar with some basic background on Socrates
- Introducing some of the central ethical ideas of Socrates
- Exploring our personal definitions for wisdom, knowledge, and ignorance
3 - Plato and the Metaphysics of Idealism
- Getting familiar with some basic background on Plato
- Introducing Plato’s philosophy of metaphysical idealism
- Exploring Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and how it relates to ethics and other fields today
4 - Aristotle and Virtue Ethics
- Getting familiar with some basic background on Aristotle
- Introducing Aristotle’s realism in response to Plato’s idealism
- Exploring how Aristotle’s virtue ethics relates to our ethical models today
Other Details
Parental Guidance
These classes are offered in the spirit of self-directed, interest-based learning of the student. In the interest of promoting creativity and critical thinking under optimal conditions, I highly recommend researching the philosophy of unschooling for further description of the sort of student who will best benefit from this content.
Also, there is occasionally subtle nudity depicted in the art pieces shown in the instruction slides of the philosophers. None of these are erotic in nature and are intended only to exhibit historical artistic expressions of the lives and time periods of the philosophers we discuss.
Supply List
Four (4) two-page handouts with excerpts comprehension questions for each class will be provided upon enrollment. An additional handout is provided that outlines the expectations for Socratic Circle dialogues in class.
5 files available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined February, 2019
4.9
373reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Colorado Teaching Certificate in Mathematics
Bachelor's Degree from Gustavus Adolphus College
I have twice taught this series as a course in a public charter school and have referred to the same content when professional tutoring students in philosophy. I love introducing to students the ideas and philosophical movements that have shaped our world today through the innovation, creativity, and rigor of those who gave birth to them.Reviews
Live Group Class
$85
for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
85 min
Completed by 14 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-6 learners per class
