Philosophy 205 — Modern Philosophy 1:00-2:00 MWF, MI 213

D. Vessey 363-2146 (Office) Office Hours: MI 210

vesseyd@beloit.edu MW 2:00-3:30

Th 1:00-3:00

and by appointment

Required Texts:

Ariew and Watkins , Modern Philosophy

Atherton, Women Philosophers in the Early Modern Period

Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence

Additional photocopied readings from Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Woolstonecraft, Paine, and Burke.

This course has as its main focus understanding the dominant philosophical views and issues of Modern (17th and 18th century) Western (European) philosophy. Since reading and interpreting the texts will be the central focus of the course, the assignments will focus on facilitating an understanding of the reading. There are only four types of assignments: Readings, Study Guides, Motivated Questions, and Tests. Everyone must sign up for one day and distribute in class in the class period before that day, a study guide for the reading of that day. The study guide must be typed, must have the author, title and source of the work at the top of the page, must provide the definitions (and page references) for all technical terms, and must list as concisely as possible the ten most important distinct philosophical points made by the author. Copies must be made for everyone in class, and the typo policy (one grade lowered for every four typos—grammatical errors, spelling errors, improper use of gendered pronouns, and failure to properly reference quotations) applies. In addition the class will divide into thirds and everyone will be assigned a day (Monday, Wednesday or Friday). Each night before class by 9:00PM one third of the class must post a Motivated Question based on the reading to the phil205 listserv (phil205-l). Either the night before or the morning of the class everyone must read everyone else’s motivated questions. These questions will be used to facilitate understanding the material in class. The motivated questions can range from questions of interpretation to criticism but either way they must be more than mere questions (e.g. “What does Descartes mean by “formal reality”?). Instead they must show a knowledge of the context and importance of the question. (Descartes introduces the distinction between formal and objective reality, but his only criterion for believing in the distinction is “the light of nature”(p. 28). Accepting “the light of nature” as straight-forwardly reliable would seem to undermine his foundational project, but he can’t say it’s given by God since it’s being used to prove God’s existence. How would he answer this concern?) The typo policy does not apply to the Motivated Questions. (But they should be typo free anyway.) There will be two take home, open book exams—a Mid-Term and a Final—where you will have to write a number of essays.

Study Guide: 15% Attendance/Participation: 25%

Motivated Questions: 10% Tests: 50% (25% each)

Recommended sites: http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/index.htm

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-femhist/

1. Wed, Jan. 17 Introductions

2. Thurs, Jan 18 Background to the Moderns

Reading: Barzun pp. 4-64

2. Fri, Jan. 19 Background to the Moderns

Reading: Barzun pp. 65-143

3. Mon, Jan. 22 Background to the Moderns

Reading: Barzun pp. 145-235

4. Wed, Jan. 24 Background to Descartes

Required Reading: Galileo, Descartes’ Discourse, Letter of Dedication, Preface and Synopsis

Ariew and Watkins pp. 8-27

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 63-90

5. Fri, Jan. 26 Descartes

Required Reading: Meditation I & II

Ariew and Watkins pp. 27-34

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 90-116

6. Mon, Jan. 29 Descartes

Required Reading: Meditation III & IV

Ariew and Watkins pp. 34-45

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 139-153

7. Wed, Jan. 31 Descartes

Required Reading: Meditation V & VI

Ariew and Watkins pp. 45-55

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 116-139

8. Fri, Feb. 2 Princess Elizabeth

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 9-21

9. Mon, Feb. 5 Spinozistic Responses to Descartes

Required Reading: Obj. 2 and Spinoza

Ariew and Watkins pp. 56-62; pp. 81-87

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 205-214

10. Wed, Feb. 7 Hobbesian Response to Descartes

Required Reading: Obj. 3 & Hobbes

Ariew and Watkins pp. 63-70; pp. 100-114

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 1-31

11. Fri, Feb. 9 Arnaudian Response to Descartes

Required Reading: Obj. 4 and Pascal

Ariew and Watkins pp. 70-80; pp. 94-96

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 153-174

12. Mon, Feb. 12 Margaret Cavendish

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 22-45

13. Wed, Feb. 14 Anne Conway

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 46-77

14. Fri, Feb. 16 17th C. Ethics

Required Reading: Barzun pp. 236-305

15. Mon, Feb. 19 Spinoza

Required Reading: from Ethics Ariew and Watkins pp. 129-156

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 214-230

16. Wed, Feb. 21 Leibniz

Required Reading: Discourse on Metaphysics

Ariew and Watkins pp. 184-207

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 320-333

17. Fri, Feb. 23 Leibniz

Required Reading: Monadology

Ariew and Watkins pp. 235-243

Recommended Reading: Copleston IV, pp. 295-320

18. Mon, Feb. 26 Leibniz

Required Reading: Newton and selections from Leibniz’ Letters to Clarke

Ariew and Watkins pp. 244-258

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 143-171

19. Wed, Feb. 28 Cudworth

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 77-95

20. Fri, Mar. 2 Midterm Exam

Required Reading: Barzun pp. 305-331

BREAK********BREAK********BREAK********BREAK********BREAK

21. Mon, Mar. 12 Mary Astell

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 96-125

22. Wed, Mar. 14 Locke

Required Reading: Essay Bk 1: 1-2; Bk 2: 1-14, 21-23, 27

Ariew and Watkins, pp. 270-329

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 67-108

23. Fri, Mar. 16 Locke

Required Reading: Essay Bk 3: 3-6, Bk 4: 1-4, 10-11, 15-16

Ariew and Watkins, pp. 329-373

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 108-123

24. Mon, Mar. 19 Locke

Required Reading: Handout from Two Treatises

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 123-143

25. Wed, Mar. 21 Cockburn

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 126-146

26. Fri, Mar. 23 Voltaire

Required Reading: Barzun pp. 332-392 and Voltaire Selections (Handout)

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 1-59

27. Mon, Mar. 26 Berkeley

Required Reading: from A Treatise

Ariew and Watkins pp. 462-477

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 213-258

28. Wed, Mar. 28 Shephard

Required Reading: Atherton pp. 147-159

29. Fri, Mar. 30 Hume

Required Reading: Inquiry §§ 1, 2, 4-7

Ariew and Watkins pp. 491-522

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 258-293

30. Mon, Apr. 2 Hume

Required Reading: Inquiry §§ 7-9

Ariew and Watkins pp. 514-534

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 293-318

31. Wed, Apr. 4 Hume

Required Reading: Inquiry §§ 10-12

Ariew and Watkins pp. 534-557

32. Fri., Apr. 6 Hume

Required Reading: from the Treatise on Human Nature (Handout)

Recommended Reading: Copleston V, pp. 318-342

33. Mon, Apr. 8 Rousseau

Required Reading: Discourse on Science and the Arts (Handout)

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 59-80

34. Wed, Apr. 11 Rousseau

Required Reading: Discourse on the Origins of Inequality (Handout)

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 80-101

35. Fri, Apr. 13 Adam Smith and the British Enlightenment

Required Reading: Barzun pp. 393-462

36. Mon, Apr. 16 Kant

Required Reading: Prolegomena Preface and Preamble

Ariew and Watkins pp. 579-590

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 180-211

Wed, Apr. 18 Spring Day (No Class)

37. Fri, Apr. 20 Kant

Required Reading: Prolegomena Trans. Prob Pts. I & II

Ariew and Watkins pp. 590-612

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 211-276

38. Mon, Apr. 23 Kant

Required Reading: Prolegomena Trans. Prob. Pt. III-End

Ariew and Watkins pp. 612-633

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI pp. 277-308

39. Wed, Apr. 25 Kant

Required Reading: Groundwork pt. 1 (Handout)

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 308-349

40. Fri, Apr. 27 Kant

Required Reading: Groundwork pt. 2 (Handout)

Recommended Reading: Copleston VI, pp. 308-349

41. Mon, Apr. 30 Woolstonecraft, Paine, Burke

Required Reading: Handout

42. Wed, May 2 Conclusions, and Evaluations

Presentations dates

Descartes:

6. Mon, Jan. 29

7. Wed. Jan. 31

Spinoza

15. Mon, Feb. 19

Leibniz

16. Wed. Feb 21

17. Fri. Feb. 23

18. Mon. Feb 26

Locke

22. Wed, Mar. 14

23. Fri. Mar. 16

24. Mon. Mar. 21

Berkeley

27. Mon, Mar. 26

Hume

29. Fri. Mar 30

30. Mon, Apr. 2

31. Wed. Apr. 4

32. Wed. Apr. 6

Kant

36. Mon, Apr. 16

37. Wed. Apr. 18

38. Fri. Apr 20

39. Mon Apr. 23

40. Wed. Apr. 25