Philosophy

Stoicism and Epicureanism

Taught by Tim Jacobs
Difficulty: Introductory
Crosslist: Christian History
Runs 7/1 – 8/24/24
$225.00 – $399.00

This class is an introduction to ancient philosophy from the Presocratics (c. 600 BC) to Augustine (b. 354 AD) with a focus on Stoicism and Epicureanism. These schools of thought will be studied in relation to the history of Platonism, Aristotelianism, Cynicism, Ancient Skepticism, and Neoplatonism. In this course, we will read Epicurus (341 BC), Lucretius (99 BC), Seneca (4 BC), Plutarch (45 AD), Epictetus (50 AD), Marcus Aurelius (121 AD), and Plotinus (204 AD), and more.

Socrates did not just teach Plato. He taught the hedonist Aristippus and ascetic Antisthenes who grandfathered Epicureanism and Stoicism. These philosophies came to dominate the Greco-Roman world of the New Testament and early Christianity. This course will discuss the philosophical and historical background leading up to and during the time of the early church.

Deadline to register: Friday, June 22nd

 

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Auditing ($225):

participate in readings and live class sessions, but no graded assignments and no course credit

Full course (Full-Time Discount) ($275):

for-credit courses (at least four per term) toward our Certificate or M.Litt in Classical Protestantism

Full course ($399):

individual classes on a for-credit basis; you can later apply them toward a Certificate or Degree

 

ENROLL NOW

Description

This Philosophy/Christian History course will be taught by Tim Jacobs, and will run from April 8th through June 15th. The syllabus is available here.

This class is an introduction to ancient philosophy from the Presocratics (c. 600 BC) to Augustine (b. 354 AD) with a focus on Stoicism and Epicureanism. These schools of thought will be studied in relation to the history of Platonism, Aristotelianism, Cynicism, Ancient Skepticism, and Neoplatonism. In this course, we will read Epicurus (341 BC), Lucretius (99 BC), Seneca (4 BC), Plutarch (45 AD), Epictetus (50 AD), Marcus Aurelius (121 AD), and Plotinus (204 AD), and more.

Socrates did not just teach Plato. He taught the hedonist Aristippus and ascetic Antisthenes who grandfathered Epicureanism and Stoicism. These philosophies came to dominate the Greco-Roman world of the New Testament and early Christianity. This course will discuss the philosophical and historical background leading up to and during the time of the early church.

Tim Jacobs is a Lecturer in Philosophy at The Davenant Institute, and a PhD candidate in philosophy at the University of St. Thomas, TX. He also holds an MDiv and ThM from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He specializes in ancient and medieval philosophy, virtue, natural law, metaphysics, and classical logic, and has published several articles as well as contributed to Four Views on Christian Metaphysics, Jonathan Edwards Encyclopedia, and Lexham Bible Dictionary. His lifelong aim is to invest in the health of the church by reviving the unity between philosophy and theology. He lives with his wife and three kids in California. Follow him at TLJACOBS.COM.

 

Details

Online only, runs 8 weeks, meeting 2.5 hr./wk. via Zoom. Students will also have the option to participate in class discussion on the Davenant Common Room Discord server. Register to reserve your spot and schedule will be set after a poll of participating students; if the class time does not fit your schedule, you will be eligible for a full refund.

This is a graduate-level course. Although a BA is not a necessary pre-requisite for this course, students should come prepared to do graduate-level work.