PL 406 HISTORY OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY Fall 2009

Transcription

1 PL 406 HISTORY OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY Fall 2009 DAY / TIME: T & TH 10:30 11:45 A.M. INSTRUCTOR: PROF. JEAN-LUC SOLÈRE OFFICE: DEP. OF PHILOSOPHY, # Campanella Way, 3 rd Floor TEL: OFFICE HOURS: T & TH 4:00-5:00 P.M., or by appointment solere@bc.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION The course presents in a synthetic but not superficial manner the major philosophies, from Descartes to Kant, which have punctuated the rise of the modern mind, the development of scientific knowledge, the transformations of Western societies: a period in which conquering rationality asserted its autonomy and led to the idea of Enlightenment, but at the same time reflected on its own limits. This comprehensive survey will cover metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and political thought. We will analyze representative texts, paying attention to their argumentative structures, and highlighting the logic in the development of problems and answers. The course will provide you with the central concepts of modern thought and the essential historical knowledge, so as to understand the bases of the present comprehension of the world and of ourselves. Also, studying the texts, class discussions and writing assignments are designed for developing rigorous argumentation and expression skills. READINGS Required books: Modern Philosophy. An Anthology of Primary Sources, ed. by R. Ariew & E. Watkins, Hackett, Indianapolis, The latter will be our main sourcebook. In addition, we will study: J.-J. Rousseau, On the Social Contract, Hackett, Indianapolis E. Kant, Groundings of the Metaphysics of Morals, Hackett, Indianapolis Some other primary sources will be photocopied.

2 The course has a BlackBoard site which provides various information and materials, and syllabus updates. Helpful complementary readings can be found in the Routledge History of Philosophy, vol. IV: The Renaissance and 17 th C. Rationalism (O Neill Stacks B770.R ) and vol. V: British Philosophy and the Age of Enlightenment (O Neill Stacks B1302.E65 B ). Understanding the ins and outs of modern philosophy presupposes a certain knowledge of ancient and medieval philosophy, and mostly of Aristotelism, against which modern thought reacted at its beginnings. Therefore, if you are not quite familiar with the tenets of Aristotelian philosophy, I strongly recommend, as a minimum, that you read as soon as possible the entry Aristotle in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (online, free access from the library databases), 8-14 and CLASS POLICY Texts assigned in the syllabus must be studied before the class. As an help, introductory readings in secondary literature are indicated in the syllabus, and study questions and summaries will be posted on BlackBoard. Attendance: Students are expected to attend classes regularly, take tests, and submit papers and other work at the times specified by the professor on the course syllabus. Students who are absent repeatedly from class or practica will be evaluated by faculty responsible for the course to ascertain their ability to achieve the course objectives and to continue in the course (from BC Academic Regulations). Academic integrity: see GRADING Two intermediate and one final take-home examinations: 100 points each Class participation: bonus added to the average resulting from the 3 written exams (4 pts maximum) Scale: D D D C C C B B B A * A * * I urge you to use these top grades only for truly outstanding work (dean of A&S to the faculty). 2

3 SYLLABUS Abbreviations: AW = Ariew & Watkins, Modern Philosophy. An Anthology of Primary Sources. phot. = photocopies IEP = Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy REP = Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy online (free through library databases) SEP = Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online OUTLINES: Classes 1-8: General characters of modern philosophy Classes 9-17: Epistemology Classes 18-22: Ethics Classes 23-27: Political philosophy WEEK 1 Sept. 08 Class 1: Sept. 10 Class 2: Introduction The scientific revolution WEEK 2 Sept. 15 Class 3: The mechanist explanation ideal, 1 Descartes, The World (phot.) Descartes, Discourse on Method, part 5: AW pp. 19b-21 REP: Descartes, 2 & Sept. 17 Class 4: The mechanist explanation ideal, 2 Fontenelle, A Conversation on the Plurality of Worlds, pp (phot.) Boyle, Corpuscular or Mechanical Philosophy : AW pp. 262a-269 Atomism in The Galileo Project ( SEP: Atomism from the 17th to the 20th Century, 2. REP: Boyle, 2 & 4 3

4 WEEK 3 Sept. 22 Class 5: The mechanist explanation revised Newton, Principia and Opticks (phot.) SEP: Newton s Philosophy Sept. 24 Class 6: Mechanism, God and Nature, 1 Spinoza, Ethics, part I, appendix: AW pp. 145a-149a; Ethics, p. III, pref. (phot.) REP: Spinoza, 4 WEEK 4 Sept. 29 Class 7: Mechanism, God and Nature, 2 D Holbach, The System of Nature, pp (phot.) Leibniz, Discourse of Metaphysics 19-22: AW pp. 195b-198b REP: Leibniz, 11 Oct. 1 Class 8: The quest for a new method. Rationalism and criticism Bacon, New Organon: AW pp. 4a-7b Descartes, Discourse on Method: AW pp ; Rules for the direction of the Mind 1-3 (phot.) Pascal, A Treatise on Void, pref. (phot.) REP: Descartes, 3 WEEK 5 Oct. 6 Class 9: The knowledge problem. A priori ideas Descartes, Meditation 3: AW pp. 34a-39a ( if such a being did not exist ), 40b ( All that remains )-41a ; Meditation 5: AW pp REP: Descartes, 8-9. IEP: "Descartes", 2, 3, 7, and "Descartes: The Mind-Body Distinction" Oct. 8 Class 10: Empiricism Locke, Essay on Human Understanding, Bk I chap. 1-2, Bk II chap. 1-12: AW pp a ; Bk III chap. 3: AW pp. 329b-334a ; Bk IV chap. 1-4, 10-11: AW pp. 339a-367b IEP: "Locke" 4

5 WEEK 6 Oct. 13 Class 11: Rationalism Leibniz, New Essays on Human Understanding: AW pp a REP: "Leibniz", 8 Oct. 15 Class 12: Idealism Berkeley, Principles p. I: AW pp. 470b-477 IEP: "Berkeley" WEEK 7 Oct. 20 Class 13: Skepticism, 1 Hume, An Inquiry concerning Human Understanding, sections I-II, V: AW pp. 494a ( But this obscurity )-512b REP: "Hume" 2-4, 7-9. SEP: "Hume" 2-8 Oct. 22 Class 14: Skepticism, 2 Hume, An Inquiry concerning Human Understanding, section VII: AW pp. 514a-522a, Treatise on Human Nature: AW pp b WEEK 8 Oct. 27 Class 15: How is science possible? Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Preface, Introduction: AW pp. 634a-646a REP : "Kant", 3-5 Oct. 29 Class 16: A priori and a posteriori knowledge Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Transcendantal Aesthetic: AW pp. 646a ( Human cognition has two stems ) - 653b WEEK 9 Nov. 3 Class 17: The categories of understanding Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Transcendantal logic, Transcendantal deduction: AW pp. 653b- 662a IEP: "Kant", REP: "Kant",

6 Nov. 5 Class 18: Ethics. Free-will and objective values Descartes, Meditation 4: AW pp. 41a-45a ; Letters (phot.) Malebranche, A Treatise on Ethics (phot.) SEP: Descartes ethics ; Malebranche, 6 WEEK 10 Nov. 10 Class 19: Ethics of the individual, 1 Spinoza, Ethics, part II prop : AW pp REP: "Spinoza", IEP: "Spinoza", 6 Nov. 12 Class 20: Ethics of the individual, 2 Hume, Enquiry Concerning The Principles of Morals (phot.) REP: "Hume", IEP: "Hume. c: Moral theory" WEEK 11 Nov. 17 Class 21: Kant and the autonomy of practical reason, 1 Kant, Groundings for the Metaphysics of Morals, pref. and 1 st section: pp REP: "Kant", Nov. 19 Class 22: Kant and the autonomy of practical reason, 2 Kant, GMM : pp ( to bring the moral law near the intuition ) SEP: "Kant s moral philosophy" WEEK 12 Nov. 24 Class 23: Political Philosophy. The birth of artificialism, 1 Hobbes, Leviathan (phot.) IEP: Hobbes, 4b-c, 5, 6 Nov. 27 No class (Thanksgiving) WEEK 13 Dec. 1 Class 24: The birth of artificialism, 2 Hobbes, Leviathan (phot.) 6

7 Dec. 3 Class 25: The dawn of tolerance Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration; Bayle, Philosophical Commentary (phot.) SEP: Toleration ; Bayle, 4; Locke, Political Philosophy WEEK 14 Dec. 8 Class 26: The democratic contract, 1 Rousseau, On the Social Contract, Bk I, chap. I-IV, pp IEP: Rousseau, 4 Dec. 10 Class 27: The democratic contract, 2 Rousseau, On the Social Contract, Bk I, chap. V-IX, Bk II, chap. I-VI, pp IEP: Rousseau, 3 Tentative schedule for the intermediate exams: 1 st : week 4/5 2 nd : week 9/10 7