Undergraduate Course: Ancient Theories of Mind (PHIL10103)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Introduction to the main theories of mind of Greek philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus and Stoics), with sessions on Pre-Socratics, Greek medical schools, and Neoplatonism. We shall consider questions of definition and structure of the soul, its main functions, the seat of the soul in the human body, the problem of mind and the mental; place of mind in the world. |
| Course description |
This is a work-intensive and intellectually challenging course, focused on understanding problems and arguments we find in several core ancient texts devoted to the problem of mind. A further reward is a strong background in the history of the problem of mind, a foundational item in today's intellectual agenda. The course is an analytical survey: each week has a new assigned set of readings connected with the previous readings and with the general topic. Each week, the students submit a short written assignment on the basis of their readings and we discuss in class the key problems and questions that arise. This course will perfect your analytical, research, presentation and writing skills. Good fun for philosophy fans.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017) AND
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their Student Adviser and the Course Organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that honours Philosophy courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Mid-term essay (1,500 words) - 30%
Final essay (2,500 words) - 60%
Participation (based on short weekly written assignments) - 10% |
| Feedback |
Written feedback on summative work; oral feedback on weekly written assignments (posted by students before the class on the Learn Discussion Board); discussion of essay plans for the essays (feedforward) and discussion of marked essays during office hours and in individual appointments. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the ontological principles of different theories of mind in classical antiquity and the way these principles inform the methods of inquiry adopted in these theories.
- Formulate and critically appraise the core concepts of mind developed in different philosophical schools (Platonist, Aristotelian, Epicurean, Stoic) and in medical philosophy.
- Critically analyse and compare the theories of cognition elaborated in different philosophical schools.
- Formulate and critically reflect on the main approaches in moral psychology based on different theories of mind and cognition.
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Reading List
Indicative, for exact version check the Syllabus for the current year:
- J.M. Cooper, D.S. Hutchinson (eds) Plato: Complete Works, Hackett, Indianapolis, 1997 (selections)
- J. Barnes, The Complete Works of Aristotle, Princeton University Press, 2014 (selections)
- A.A. Long, D.N. Sedley (eds) The Hellenistic philosophers, Cambridge University Press, 1987 (selected sections)
- P.N. Singer (ed), Galen: Psychological Writings, Cambridge University Press, 2013 (selections) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This is a work-intensive and intellectually challenging course, focused on understanding problems and arguments we find in several core ancient texts devoted to the problem of mind. A further reward is a strong background in the history of the problem of mind, a foundational item in today's intellectual agenda. The course is an analytical survey: each week has a new assigned set of readings connected with the previous readings and with the general topic. Each week, the students submit a short written assignment on the basis of their readings and we discuss in class the key problems and questions that arise. This course will perfect your analytical, research, presentation and writing skills. Good fun for philosophy fans.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Being open to different perspectives; Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical analysis and evaluation; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Independence; Oral communication (discussion, debating respectfully, influencing); Preparation, planning and organisation; Academic reading skills; Research skills; Resilience; Self-reflection; Taking initiative; Time management; Understanding broader perspectives; Workload management; Written communication; Writing clearly and concisely; Problem solving; Presentation skills; Analytical skills in reading and understanding ancient philosophical texts (where some data and context may be missing and need to be reconstructed from other sources). |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Inna Kupreeva
Tel: (0131 6)50 3653
Email: inna.kupreeva@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Kayla Johnson-McCraw
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: Kayla.Johnson@ed.ac.uk |
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