Philosophy 262: Early Modern Philosophy (Gen Ed Tier 2 Humanities)

Spring 2008

The early modern period in western philosophy is generally considered to start with Descartes in the 16th century and to finish with Kant in the early 19th century. Descartes initiated a major break from the medieval period in philosophy. Philosophy in the early modern period was concerned with the new metaphysical picture of the world required by the rise of modern science, especially as developed by Galileo. For Descartes, part of this world view was the role of the enquirer; he was concerned, not just with what the world was like, according to modern science, but with how we can discover what it is like. These two themes constitute the starting point of modern metaphysics and epistemology, respectively.

The goal of this course is, in part, to introduce students to these themes, as they developed in the early modern period. We will trace the development through a study of the following selection of canonical writers of the period: Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. This period saw, perhaps for the first time in the Western tradition, the rise to prominence of woman thinkers; we may look at Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia's influential criticism of Descartes. As in all philosophy courses, the goal is not just to introduce students to new ideas, but also to foster the ability to think critically about the fundamental issues thus raised.

Given the contents and purpose of this course, it should prove beneficial to those for whom this may be their only philosophy course. But it also provides a good background for those who wish to pursue further studies in the history of philosophy, metaphysics or epistemology.

The course contains weekly discussion sections, as well as lectures. The discussion sections are designed to encourage students, both orally and in written assignments, to interact with their instructors, and with the material presented in lectures.

As many classroom materials as possible, including this syllabus, are available from David Owen's Coursepage (http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~dwo). Click on courses, then on the entry for this course under “Spring 2008”. 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 Descartes, Locke, Berkeley and Hume in particular. Of special interest is the availability of electronic versions of most of the texts we will be reading. The overheads used in the lectures will be available on the Coursepage but please note these are subject to change and revision. I am going to try to produce Powerpoint slides this semester to replace the overheads, but that will be an on going process.

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/

Students may find further discussion of academic honesty, plagiarism, etc. at http://www.transcendentalists.com/plagiarism_and_copyright.htm, where links to other useful sites can be found. An example of the sort of site you ought to avoid, or at least not make use of, is

http://www.descartes-essays.com/.

Grading

Grading will be based on weekly assignments (approximately ten or eleven throughout the semester), one in-class test, one take-home assignment, and a final exam (approximately 25% each). The take home will involve an extensive, written essay, while the in-class test and final will involve essay style answers. The ability to think clearly, to express oneself fluently, and to show knowledge of the material as well as critical appreciation of the ideas found in that material, is best fostered through written work. The weekly assignments will be accepted only during the discussion section, in order to foster good attendance. The weekly assignments will not be accepted late. However, only the best eight of the weekly assignments will count towards your grade. Make-ups will not be available for the test or the final exam nor will the take-home be accepted late; weekly assignments accepted only during your discussion section.

Required Text

Central Readings in the History of Modern Philosophy, 2nd edition, ed. Cummins and Owen (Wadsworth)