Philosophy 471b/571b, Spring 2006
The Empiricists
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
2.00 - 2.50, Soc Sci 311
Instructor: Prof. David Owen, Soc Sci 220c,
621-3834
Philosophy Dept. Office, 213 Soc Sci, 621-3120
Office hours: MW 3-3.45, F 12.30-1.30
CoursePage: http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~dwo
Email: dwo@www.ic.arizona.edu or
from CoursePage
In this course will consider two of the great texts in the British Empiricist tradition of the 17th and 18th centuries: John Locke's An Essay concerning Human Understanding and David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature. The goal of the course is to enable students to read and understand texts written in a tradition and literary style with which they may be unfamiliar, and thus come to understand some philosophical and scientific themes which, though different from our own, form part of the background of the modern age.
Among the themes we will discuss are: the innateness hypothesis, the origin and nature of ideas, associationism and abstraction, necessary or analytical truths, the nature of demonstrative and probable reasoning, varieties of scepticism and responses to them, knowledge and opinion, the possibility of science, natural kinds and real essences.
The Monday and Wednesday classes will be primarily lectures, and the Friday class will be primarily discussion for the undergraduates only. Attendance at the Friday discussion is mandatory for all those taking 471b. Graduates taking 571b will meet separately at a time to be arranged.
As many classroom materials as possible, including this syllabus, are available from David Owen's Course Page. Please check this regularly, as all changes to the timetable, including changes in times of tests, will be posted there, as will changes in the assignments etc. Note that the course page has links to other websites, which provide resources in philosophy, including the history of philosophy in general, and Locke and Hume in particular. Of especial interest are the availability of electronic versions of Locke's Essay. Electronic versions of Hume's Treatise are not available on the Web for free, but are available from the instructor. Please note: this is not pirating; the university has a site licence!
Code of Academic Integrity
All students taking this course are bound
under the Code of Academic Integrity. Students should familiarize themselves
with this code, which can be found at:
http://dos.web.arizona.edu/uapolicies
Academic Calendar:
Academic Calendar
2005-06, UA General Catalog
Requirements
There will be two midterms and a final, representing equal parts of the total
grade. The final will be cumulative. The two midterms will be made up of an
in-class test and a take-home essay. Attendance at the Friday discussion
section is mandatory. The first two absences at these sections will be noted;
any subsequent absences will result in the reduction of one's grade. A total of
four absences will result in a failing grade for the course.
Required Texts
John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (
David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (
Recommended Books:
Woolhouse, R.S. The Empiricists
Woolhouse, R.S. Locke
Mackie, J.L. Problems from Locke
Chappell, V.C., ed. The
Ayers, M.R. Locke (2 volumes)
Nidditch, P.H., ed. Locke's An Essay Concerning
Human Understanding
Norton, D.F., ed.. The
Stroud, Barry Hume
David and Mary Norton, eds., Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature
Please check website for times, revisions, exact topics, readings
etc.
Please note tests and exams cannot be put off due to travel plans.
Important Dates (for more detail, see Coursepage)
Wed Jan 11: first class
Mon Jan 16: MLK day day, no class
Wed Jan 11 - Wed Fri Mar 3: Locke
Tue Feb 7: last day to drop with deletion of course enrollment from record
Fri Feb 17: 1st test
Fri Feb. 24 1st takehome due
Mon Mar 6 - Wed May 3: Hume
Tue Mar 7: last day to drop with 'W'; instructor's signature required
Mar 13-17: Spring Break; no classes
Wed Mar 22 and Fri 24: no classes (instructor at APA)
Fri Apr 14: 2nd test
Fri Apr 21: 2nd takehome due
Wed May 3: last class
Wed May 10: Final Exam (2 - 4 pm) (make-up exam not available)