Ancient Philosophy
- Social Sciences
- 100 level
- 2 credit units
- 145 pages
- 19 units
This course introduces students to the historical development of philosophical thought in Africa, Asia, and the Western world. It explores the etymology, meaning, and evolution of philosophy, examining its development in ancient Egypt, Babylon, India, China, and Greece. The course critically analyzes the Eurocentric underpinnings of philosophy and distinguishes it from religion and science. Students will engage with the ideas of key ancient philosophers and their contributions to various philosophical domains.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 156 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical, case study
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assignments
- Presentations
- Forum Discussions
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of PHL102, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
PHL102 · Unit 1: Meaning, Etymology and Evolution of Philosophy
Human nature is the same all over the world and the tendency to philosophize is part of human nature. It follows therefore that philosophizing is not peculiar to a group of people. In other word, other civilizations have their own philosophers. They reflect on the basic philosophic questions about human life or about the universe.
What you should be able to do
- Understand the meaning, etymology, and evolution of philosophy
- Analyze the historical development of philosophy in Africa, Asia, and the Western world
- Critically evaluate the Eurocentric underpinnings of philosophy
- Distinguish philosophy from religion and science
- Understand the ideas of key ancient philosophers
- Apply philosophical concepts to contemporary issues
What it prepares you for
- Philosopher
- Historian
- Political Analyst
- Policy Advisor
- Educator
- Education
- Research
- Public Policy
- Consulting
- Academia
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Philosophy in Ancient Africa
Unit 3: The Mathematical Basis of Divination among Ancient Africans
The unit requires understanding of complex mathematical concepts and their application in ancient African divination systems.
- Module 5: Philosophy in the Ancient Greek and Neighboring City-States
Unit 2: Pre-Socratic Philosophers
The unit requires understanding of different philosophical positions and arguments, and the ability to compare and contrast them.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 53 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Philosophy: Meaning, Etymology and Evolution
Unit 1: Meaning, Etymology and Evolution of Philosophy · 2 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand the etymology and meaning of philosophy.. Explore the evolution of philosophical ideas.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1..
Unit 2: General Issues on the Development of Philosophy · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Discuss the development of philosophy in ancient times.. Identify the general trends in ancient philosophical ideas.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 2Module 1: Philosophy: Meaning, Etymology and Evolution
Unit 3: The Eurocentric Undergirding of Philosophy · 3 hours
Read Unit 3: Analyze the Eurocentric perspective in philosophy.. Question the assumption that Thales is the father of philosophy.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
Unit 4: Distinguishing Philosophy from Religion and Science · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Distinguish philosophy from religion and science.. Understand the role of philosophy in both religion and science.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 3Module 2: Some Philosophers in Ancient Africa
Unit 1: On the Nature of Ancient African Philosophy · 3 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand the debate over ancient African philosophy.. Familiarize yourself with the distinctive character of ancient African philosophy.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 4Module 2: Some Philosophers in Ancient Africa
Unit 2: The Ideas of Ptah Hotep · 3 hours
Read Unit 2: Understand Ptah Hotep's ideas on moral and political philosophy.. Justify the position of apologists on ancient African philosophy.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 5Module 2: Some Philosophers in Ancient Africa
Unit 3: The Ideas of Ọ̀r únmị̀ lạ̀ · 3 hours
Read Unit 3: Understand Ọ̀r únmị̀ lạ̀'s position on various topics.. Familiarize yourself with another important ancient African philosopher.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 6Module 3: Philosophy in Ancient Africa
Unit 1: Proverbs and Morality among Ancient Africans · 3 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand the meaning and nature of proverbs.. Understand how proverbs contribute to moral development.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 7Module 3: Philosophy in Ancient Africa
Unit 2: Aesthetics among Ancient Africans · 3 hours
Read Unit 2: Comprehend the relationship between artworks and their social significance.. Be familiar with the approaches of ancient Igbo and Yorùbá to artworks.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 8Module 3: Philosophy in Ancient Africa
Unit 3: The Mathematical Basis of Divination among Ancient Africans · 3 hours
Read Unit 3: Understand the numbering pattern of ancient Africans.. Be familiar with divination techniques among ancient Africans.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1, 2 and 3..
- Week 9Module 3: Philosophy in Ancient Africa
Unit 4: Sexuality in Ancient African Beliefs · 3 hours
Read Unit 4: Learn how traditional Africans viewed sexuality.. Relate with how ancient Africans tolerated the third gender.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 10Module 3: Philosophy in Ancient Africa
Unit 5: The Medical Philosophy of Ancient Africans · 3 hours
Read Unit 5: Be familiar with the traditional Yorùbá idea of medicine.. Draw semblances between this ancient system and contemporary medicine.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 11Module 4: Philosophy in Ancient Babylon, Egypt, India and China
Unit 1: Philosophy in Ancient Babylon · 3 hours
Read Unit 1: Know the development of philosophy in the ancient Mesopotamian society.. Assess the contributions of the Babylonians to philosophy.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
Unit 2: Philosophy in Ancient Egypt · 3 hours
Read Unit 2: Study the ancient Egyptian cosmology.. Analyze the Egyptian moral system (Maat).. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 and 2..
- Week 12Module 4: Philosophy in Ancient Babylon, Egypt, India and China
Unit 3: Philosophy in Ancient India · 3 hours
Read Unit 3: Know the basic tenets of Hinduism.. Assess the impact of Hinduism on the Indian society.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
Unit 4: Modern Science and Ancient Oriental "Scientific" Ideas · 3 hours
Read Unit 4: Learn that Asian ideas on science anticipate modern physics.. Appreciate ancient ideas for their contribution to knowledge.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 13Module 5: Philosophy in the Ancient Greek and Neighboring City-States
Unit 1: Ionian/Miletian Thinkers · 4 hours
Read Unit 1: Understand how Western philosophy started.. Know the ideas of Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1, 2 and 3..
Unit 2: Pre-Socratic Philosophers · 4 hours
Read Unit 2: Know the thoughts of individual pre-Socratic philosophers.. Understand the ideological foundation of some philosophical problems.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9..
Preparing for the exam
- Create a timeline of key philosophers and their major contributions from each module
- Develop concept maps linking philosophical ideas across different regions (Africa, Asia, Greece)
- Practice explaining core concepts (e.g., Maat, Karma, Apeiron) in your own words
- Focus on understanding the arguments for and against Eurocentrism in philosophy
- Review the distinctions between philosophy, religion, and science, providing examples
- Prepare summaries of the main ethical and metaphysical views of each philosopher
- Practice essay questions comparing and contrasting different philosophical perspectives
- Review all TMAs and discussion forum contributions for key insights and areas for improvement
- Allocate study time proportionally to the weight of each module in the final examination
- Create flashcards for key terms and concepts to aid memorization
- Form a study group to discuss and debate challenging philosophical ideas
- Practice time management during mock exams to improve speed and accuracy
- Identify and revisit areas of weakness based on self-assessment exercises and feedback from tutors
- Focus on understanding the arguments for and against the existence of ancient African philosophy
- Practice explaining the mathematical concepts underlying ancient African divination systems
- Review the ethical implications of different philosophical views on sexuality and social justice
- Prepare summaries of the main ethical and metaphysical views of each philosopher
- Practice essay questions comparing and contrasting different philosophical perspectives
- Review all TMAs and discussion forum contributions for key insights and areas for improvement
- Allocate study time proportionally to the weight of each module in the final examination
- Create flashcards for key terms and concepts to aid memorization
- Form a study group to discuss and debate challenging philosophical ideas
- Practice time management during mock exams to improve speed and accuracy
- Identify and revisit areas of weakness based on self-assessment exercises and feedback from tutors
- Focus on understanding the arguments for and against the existence of ancient African philosophy
- Practice explaining the mathematical concepts underlying ancient African divination systems
- Review the ethical implications of different philosophical views on sexuality and social justice
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts
- Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly
- Review all TMAs and discussion forum contributions for key insights and areas for improvement
- Allocate study time proportionally to the weight of each module in the final examination
- Create flashcards for key terms and concepts to aid memorization
- Form a study group to discuss and debate challenging philosophical ideas
- Practice time management during mock exams to improve speed and accuracy
- Identify and revisit areas of weakness based on self-assessment exercises and feedback from tutors
- Focus on understanding the arguments for and against the existence of ancient African philosophy
- Practice explaining the mathematical concepts underlying ancient African divination systems
- Review the ethical implications of different philosophical views on sexuality and social justice
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts
- Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly
- Review all TMAs and discussion forum contributions for key insights and areas for improvement
- Allocate study time proportionally to the weight of each module in the final examination
- Create flashcards for key terms and concepts to aid memorization
- Form a study group to discuss and debate challenging philosophical ideas
- Practice time management during mock exams to improve speed and accuracy
- Identify and revisit areas of weakness based on self-assessment exercises and feedback from tutors
- Focus on understanding the arguments for and against the existence of ancient African philosophy
- Practice explaining the mathematical concepts underlying ancient African divination systems
- Review the ethical implications of different philosophical views on sexuality and social justice
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 database concepts
- Practice SQL queries from Units 7-9 weekly
- Review all TMAs and discussion forum contributions for key insights and areas for improvement
- Allocate study time proportionally to the weight of each module in the final examination
- Create flashcards for key terms and concepts to aid memorization
- Form a study group to discuss and debate challenging philosophical ideas
- Practice time management during mock exams to improve speed and accuracy
- Identify and revisit areas of weakness based on self-assessment exercises and feedback from tutors
- Focus on understanding the arguments for and against the existence of ancient African philosophy
- Practice explaining the mathematical concepts underlying ancient African divination systems
- Review the ethical implications of different philosophical views on sexuality and social justice
Questions students ask about this course
What is PHL102 about?
This course introduces students to the historical development of philosophical thought in Africa, Asia, and the Western world. It explores the etymology, meaning, and evolution of philosophy, examining its development in ancient Egypt, Babylon, India, China, and Greece. The course critically analyzes the Eurocentric underpinnings of philosophy and distinguishes it from religion and science. Students will engage with the ideas of key ancient philosophers and their contributions to various philosophical domains.
How many units does PHL102 have?
PHL102, Ancient Philosophy, has 19 units across 5 modules, over 145 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is PHL102?
PHL102 carries 2 credit units, at 100 level in Social Sciences.
Is PHL102 hard?
PHL102 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.
How long does PHL102 take to study?
About 156 hours of study, spread across its 19 units.
How is PHL102 assessed?
PHL102 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assignments, Presentations, Forum Discussions and Final Examination.
What can I do with PHL102?
Philosopher, Historian, Political Analyst, Policy Advisor and Educator.