PHI120   Paradox and Plurality: Zeno to Aristotle   (10 credits)

Description

This module will focus on a debate between three ancient philosophers (Zeno of Elea. Democritus and Aristotle) concerning an intiguing set of paradoxes posed by Zeno around the middle of the 5th century BCE. Zeno's paradoxes challenge our common sense view of the world as a pluralityof different things in motion. They typically raise questions concerning infinity, individuality and identity. Democritus (mid-5th to early-4th century BCE), was the Western world's first atomist, and represents an influenctial line of response to Zeno's paradoxes. Aristotle (later 4th century BCE, and surely one of the most influential philosophers in Western throught) vigorously opposed the views of Democritus. He offered subtle and detailed 'logical' resolutions of Zeno's paradoxes, and sought to restore our confidence in what he saw as our common sense view of the world. But Zeno's paradoxes continue to fascinate, and the aim of this module is to encourage you to think about, and engage for yourself in, the issues they raise. and Melissus, who can be taken as defenders and partisans of Parmenides' positions. These philosophers (known collectively as the Eleatics) will occupy us for the first half of the module. In the second half of the module we will look at three philosophers who responded, in different ways, to the arguments of Parmenides: namely Anaxagoras, Empedocles and Democritus.

Reading List