Ravi Sharma, Ph.D.

Ravi Sharma received his Ph.D. in 2001 from the Joint Classics-Philosophy Graduate Program in Ancient Philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin. He started at Clark in 2009, having previously taught at California State University, Long Beach and at Haverford College.

Current Research and Teaching

Professor Sharma's main research interests are in Greek philosophy of the 5th and 4th centuries bce. He has recently been working on the philosophical motivations for Plato's theory of Forms and on the criticisms of Plato's theory that one finds in Aristotle's work.

Besides teaching a variety of courses in ancient philosophy, Professor Sharma will regularly be offering courses in metaphysics. He is also quite interested in the history of early modern philosophy and in a number of themes in late nineteenth and early twentieth century thought.

Selected Publications

"Socrates' New Aitia: Causal and Metaphysical Explanations in Plato's Phaedo," Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 36, 2009: 137-77.

"The Anatomy of an Illusion: On Plato's Purported Commitment to Self-Predication" Apeiron 40 (no. 2), June 2007: 159-198.

"From Definitions to Forms?" [Critical discussion of R. M. Dancy, Plato's Introduction of Forms], Apeiron 40 (no. 4), December 2007:  375-95.

"On Republic 596a," Apeiron 39 (no. 1), March 2006: 27-32. 

"What is Aristotle's 'Third Man' Argument Against the Forms?" Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 28, 2005: 123-160.