PHIL 220
Immortality and the Soul in Ancient and Medieval Thought
Last Offered Spring 2009
Division II Writing Skills
Cross-listed REL 282
This course is not offered in the current catalog

According to a 2003 poll, 84%of Americans believe that the soul survives death. Ideas about immortality and the soul have a long history, and have been at the center some of the major philosophical and religious traditions of Western culture. The central aim of this course is to examine how some central figures in these traditions think about immortality and the soul. In addition, we will discuss some of the philosophical difficulties that come to the fore when thinking about these issues. Is the immortality of human persons even coherent? What would it mean for an individual to survive her own death? Does belief in the indestructibility of the human soul have ethical implications? What evidence is there for the existence, let alone immortality, of the soul?
We will pay close attention to revising papers in light of peer and instructor feedback. We will also work on critically reading and evaluating texts in the history of philosophy. Readings for the class may include: Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Fragments from the Stoics and Pre-Socratics, Plotinus, Origen, Tertullian, Augustine, Moses Maimonides, Ibn Sina, Averroes, and Aquinas.