Ancient Historical Conceptions of the Soul

Plato and Aristotle on the Soul

In this course, Professor Lewis Ayres (University of Durham) explores Plato and Aristotle’s ideas about the soul. In the first module, we consider ancient historical conceptions of the soul. In the second module, we examine Plato’s views on the soul. In the third module, we look at Aristotle’s views on the soul. In the fourth and final module, we compare and contrast Plato and Aristotle’s ideas about the soul.

Ancient Historical Conceptions of the Soul

In this module, we introduce ancient historical conceptions of the soul, focusing in particular on (i) the soul in Homer (ii) evolution of conceptions of the soul in Ancient Greece (iii) Pre-Platonic philosophy (iv) Plato’s view in the Phaedo.