EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY
Autumn 1998
J. Hernandez Cruz
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The early modern period in Western philosophy (roughly 1600-1800) is the source of many of our most powerful and seductive intellectual commitments. While we may disagree with philosophers of this period, the terms of philosophical inquiry and our standards of rational argumentation are in part derived from the work of Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. For this reason, we will pursue a rigorous and sustained introduction to this episode of human intellectual history. We will cover topics in Metaphysics, Epistemology and Philosophy of Mind. This course is not appropriate for students who have not taken any philosophy before. It is intended primarily for concentrators and majors in philosophy. |
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REQUIRED TEXTS
The Cummins and Owen volume represents the most inexpensive solution
to the problem of engaging multiple texts in the history of modern
philosophy. It provides the full editions of many of the works
that we will be reading. Still, the pieces collected in this volume
are not in versions optimal for advanced scholarship. The Cummins
and Owen book lacks the lengthy introductory material and scholarly
apparatus common to stand-alone editions of these works. Should
you wish to purchase particular texts for advanced projects, you
may seek the following: Descartes Locke Leibniz Berkeley Hume Kant
CLASS RESOURCES Philosophy Lunch – The instructor will meet informally with students over lunch on Wednesday from noon to 1:30 to discuss issues in philosophy. These may be topics that arise in class, but need not be. We may occasionally be joined by other philosophy faculty at Hampshire, and you are welcome to invite friends who are not in the class but who are interested in the history of philosophy.
To RECEIVE AN EVALUATION, you must: 1. Attend - You are expected to attend every class meeting. Please contact
the instructor for missed material due to an excused absence.
Lectures will combine elements of the reading as well as new material.
2. Participate - Thoughtful participation in class discussion will be one indicator
that you are doing the reading. 3. Write weekly seminar papers -- 3 pages (4 maximum). Typewritten, double spaced in a 12 point
font. No title page. Weekly papers are due in the instructor's mailbox (in the ASH office) by NOON on the TUESDAY before the class meeting. Alternatively, students may submit their work by electronic mail by late evening that day. Students may be asked to read their papers during the seminar in order to frame the discussion. You may skip 2 weekly papers over the course of the semester in order to complete work for other courses or for personal reasons. There are 11 weeks with reading assignments. You may choose any element of the reading to write on. For example, you may briefly summarize the issues of the reading and critically respond by using other material from the course. Or, you may pick a direct quote from the readings and attempt to show that the ideas contained in it are misguided or fail to take into consideration important factors. Depending on your background in philosophy, you may wish to review the web-based dynamic tutorial on philosophical writing that I designed for introductory classes.
4. Write a final paper - 12-15 pages. Typewritten, double spaced in a 12 point font.
No title page. Final projects may be extensions of a weekly paper or may advance completely new ideas. The final paper will be an opportunity for extended discussion of any element of the course. Note that rough drafts are required and due on (see schedule). Papers must reflect original thoughts and ideas about the themes
covered that week. Any direct quotations or paraphrased material
from outside sources must be credited and footnoted in your favorite
style. Violation of this constitutes plagiarism.
Schedule of Topics & Readings September 9
October 7
November 4
December 2
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