Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant

Philosophy 102
Winter 1989
Syllabus

Professor

Edward N. Zalta, Philosophy Department
Offices: Cordura 226 (CSLI) and 92B (Philosophy)
Phone: 723-0345 (Cordura), 723-2133 (92B)
Electronic Mail: zalta@csli
Mailboxes: Ventura Hall and 91L
Office Hours:

Teaching Assistants:

Michael O'Rourke (orourke@csli), 92A, 723-1157, Hours:
Corey Washington (corey@csli), 380L, 725-0108, Hours:

Class Meetings:

Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:15 P.M., 60-61H
One optional discussion section per week (led by a TA)

Required Texts:

Classics of Western Philosophy, Steven Cahn (ed.), Indianapolis: Hackett
1 xerox of excerpts from Spinoza's Ethics

Required Work:

2 short papers (5-7 pages) (each 25%of your grade)
1 MIDTERM (20%of your grade)
FINAL EXAM (30%of your grade)

Course Prerequisite:

One previous course in Philosophy

Course Description:

This course is required for the philosophy major, and it is designed to introduce you to the most important texts of modern philosophy. The lectures are designed to give you some perspective on each work as a whole as well as provide a careful analysis of the more significant passages. You are encouraged to spend your time reading and thinking about the original texts (the primary sources), rather than researching the secondary sources. Sometimes, however, you may want to pursue a line of thought that is puzzling or of special interest to you. At the end of the syllabus, you will find a list of commentaries and other secondary sources on reserve that may be of some help.

There will be an optional discussion section for you to explore ideas that fascinate you in more depth. Though the exams will not presuppose that you have attended the discussion section, the familiarity with the texts that you acquire by attending these sections may prove useful on the exams. The exams will test how well you have assimilated the lectures and reading assignments. Unfortunately, because of the large enrollment, everyone will have to write on the same topic for the short papers. There may be some exceptions to this in the case of Descartes (more about this in class). At the end of the syllabus, you will find a short statement about grading policies. Be sure to read this carefully.

COURSE SCHEDULE

NOTE: The following course schedule is tentative and subject to change. Such changes, if any, will be announced in class. Each date is followed by a lecture topic and the material that should be read for that class day.

January

11
Valid Arguments and the Analytic Style
13
Modern Philosophy: Rationalism vs. Empiricism
16
HOLIDAY (Martin Luther King Day)
18
Cartesian Doubt and Evil Demons
read: Descartes' The Meditations, Meditation #1
20
Cogito, Ergo Sum: Thinking, Existing, and Certainty
read: Meditation #2 and #3
23
Sum Res Cogitans: Substance and Essence
read: Meditation #4
25
The Cartesian Circle
read: Meditation #5
27
SHORT PAPER DUE
Cartesian Dualism
read: Meditation #6
30
Minds, Monads, and Pre-Established Harmony
read: Leibniz, The Monadology

February

1
Concept Containment
read: Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics, §-14
3
How Monads Mirror Worlds
read: Spinoza's The Ethics (in Cahn)
6
Spinoza's Blend of Metaphysics, Psychology and Ethics
read: Spinoza, The Ethics (xeroxed excerpts)

8
MIDTERM
10
The Corpuscular Theory of Perception
read: Locke, Concerning Human Understanding, Book I
13
Innate Ideas and Abstract Ideas
read: Locke, Concerning Human Understanding, Book II
15
Personal Identity
read: Locke, Concerning Human Understanding, Book III
17
Language and Knowledge
read: Locke, Concerning Human Understanding, Book IV
20
HOLIDAY (President's Day)
22
Matter, Minds, and Ideas
read: Berkeley, Three Dialogues
24
Common Sense
read: Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge
27
God and Natural Science
read: Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

March

1
Impressions, Relations Among Ideas, and Matters of Fact
read: Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding,
Sections I-VI
3
SHORT PAPER DUE
Causality, Necessary Connection, and the Problem of Induction
read: Hume, Enquiry, Sections VII-XII
6
Differences between the Enquiry and Treatise
read: Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
8
Religious Skepticism
read: Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
10
Synthetic A Priori Truths
read: Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
13
DEAD WEEK
Paralogisms and Antinomies
read: Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
15
Catch-up day
17
Catch-up day
20
FINAL EXAM (8:30am - 11:30am)

Secondary Sources on Reserve in Tanner Library

Descartes:
1. B. Williams, Descartes: The Project of Pure Enquiry
2. A. Kenny, Descartes: A Study of His Philosophy
3. W. Doney, Descartes: A Collection of Critical Essays
4. H. Frankfurt, Demons, Dreamers, and Madmen

Leibniz:
1. C. D. Broad, Leibniz: An Introduction
2. H. Frankfurt, Leibniz: A Collection of Critical Essays

Spinoza:
1. S. Hampshire, Spinoza
2. M. Grene, Spinoza: A Collection of Critical Essays
3. J. Bennett, A Study of Spinoza's ETHICS

Locke:
1. J. L. Mackie, Problems From Locke
2. I. Tipton (ed.), Locke on Human Understanding
3. J. Bennett, Locke, Berkeley, Hume: Central Themes
4. C.B. Martin and D. M. Armstrong, Locke and Berkeley: A Collection of
Critical Essays

Berkeley:
1. G. J. Warnock, Berkeley
2. G. Pitcher, Berkeley
3. G. W. Engle and G. Taylor, Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge:
Critical Studies

Hume:
1. B. Stroud, Hume
2. V.C. Chappell, Hume: A Collection of Critical Essays
3. J. Bennett, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume: Central Themes

Kant:
1. R. Scruton, Kant
2. S. Körner, Kant

Grading Policies

1. No late papers will be accepted, nor incompletes given, unless special permission is obtained from the professor in advance. Permission to turn in a late paper comes at the price of a grade penalty, unless there is a genuine emergency or the circumstances are exceptional in some other way.

2. Reevaluations: Students may request a reevaluation of a paper if they feel that it has been incorrectly graded. The work must be resubmitted to the professor within one week of the date the paper was graded and returned.

3. Participation in class and/or steady improvement will be considered in determining your final grade, especially in borderline cases.


Copyright © 1994, by Edward N. Zalta. All rights reserved.