An exploration of major works in five traditions: Aristotle’s Metaphysics (the ontology of substance), Plotinus’ Enneads (emanationism), Spinoza’s Ethics (monism), Hegel’s Introduction to the Philosophy of History (dialectical idealism), and Heidegger’s Introduction to Metaphysics (phenomenological metaphysics).

Textbook(s):

The Philosophy of Aristotle (ed. Bambrough) Signet ISBN  978-0-451-53175-9

The Essential Plotinus (trans. O’Brien) Hackett ISBN 0915144093

Spinoza, Ethics (trans. Curley) Penguin ISBN 9780140435719

Hegel, Introduction to the Philosophy of History, (trans. Rauch) Hackett ISBN 0872200566

Heidegger, Introduction to Metaphysics 2nd edition, Yale ISBN 9780300186123

Course Requirements/Evaluation: One 2500 word essay (50%) or two 1250 word essays (25% each), and a final exam (50%). 

Course Outline [1]