In addition to being one of the greatest philosophers, Aristotle laid the foundation for most of modern science. Whether you are STEM or Liberal Arts minded, join this course to learn the basics of Aristotle's ethics and philosophy of nature.
How to get the most out of The Great Philosophers: Meet Aristotle With Sam Nicholson:
- First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.
- Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.
- Read assignments before class meetings
- Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.
- Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.
- Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.
Special Notes: To continue your philosophy studies, follow this course with Dr. Nicholson’s Hellenistic Philosophy course in the spring 2024 semester.
Total classes: 12
Duration per class: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested Credit: One full semester Philosophy or Greek Philosophy
Instructor: Dr. Sam Nicholson
Instructor Email: scn8v@virginia.edu
Course Description: Aristotle is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest thinkers ever to live, and his philosophy has left an indelible mark upon the development of Western Civilization. So towering was his stature that St. Thomas Aquinas called him simply "The Philosopher". In this course, we will introduce some of the key elements of Aristotle's philosophy. We will study his theory of nature, including the notion of act and potency and the doctrine of the four causes. We will see how Aristotle's understanding of nature plays into his theory of ethics, including his understanding of duty, virtue, and happiness.
Course Materials: Any editions accepted. Many of these works are available online free
All primary source readings from Aristotle will be made available from free online resources.
Our secondary textbook will be J.L Ackrill "Aristotle The Philosopher," any edition.
Homework: Homework will involve daily reading assignments from primary and secondary texts. These texts are short but dense and will require the student to read slowly and, in some cases, to go back and re-read. Expect to spend no less than an hour and a half per class reading. There will be three automated quizzes, one mid-term, and one final exam.
Technical Help: If you have any technical trouble or questions about course content, please email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.
- Teacher: Sam Nicholson