Philosophy 2202F/G – Early Modern Philosophy Syllabus |
(approximately one
unit per 50 minutes of class time) References to Descartes are to the pagination of the
critical edition of Charles Adam and Paul Tannery (Oeuvres de Descartes, 11
vols. New edition [ I. Inductivism and Mechanism 1. Inductivism: Bacon, The Great Insaturation, Preface
(opening paragraph and closing two paragraphs only); “Plan of the work”
(opening titles and first 15 paragraphs only); The New Organon, Aphorisms I-XLVIII; De augmentis scientiarum, Book
2, Ch. 2. 2. Mechanism:
Boyle, “Of the Corpuscular or Mechanical Philosophy”
(Matthews, 109-118 top) 3. Primary
and Secondary Qualities: Galileo, The
Assayer (Matthews, 53-61) 4. Hobbes
1: Primary and Secondary Qualities, The Elements of
Law, Part 1, Chapters. 1-3, and Elements of Philosophy, Part 4,
Chapter 25.2-3,5-7,9, available in Gakin,
21-30, 214-19, 221-23 or online. 5. Hobbes
2: Sense Experience and Reason, The Elements of Law 1.4-6
and Elements of Philosophy Pt.4 Ch. 25.8; Pt. 1 Ch. 1.1-3, available in Gaskin 31-43, 219-221, 185-188 or online. 6. Hobbes
3: Liberty and Necessity; Religious belief, The
Elements of Law 1.7.1-2, 1.12, 1.11 and Elements of Philosophy Pt.
4 Ch. 25.12-13, available in Gaskin 43-44, 70-73,
64-70, 226-228 or online. II. Descartes 1. Rationalism,
Discourse on Method I-II, and closing 4 paragraphs of
V (AT VI 1-22 and 55-60), available online. 2. Cartesian
Doubt “Letter of Dedication” to the Meditations, Meditations
1 3. Mind
and the Cognitive Faculties Meditations
2 (cf. Discourse IV, AT VI 31-33, 37) 4. Ideas
and Reality Meditations 3a (AT VII 34-42) 5. Arguments
for the Existence of God Meditations 3b
(AT VII 42-52, cf. Discourse IV, AT VI 33-36) 6. Error
and Free Will Meditations 4 7. Intuitive
and Demonstrative Knowledge Meditations
5 (cf., Discourse IV, AT VI 36-39) 8. Existence
of Material Things Meditations
6a (AT VII 71-80; cf. Discourse IV, AT VI 39-40) 9. Sensory
Knowledge Meditations 6b (AT VII 80-90) III. The rise of empiricism and the downfall of Cartesianism 1. Cartesian
Science (Principles
of Philosophy II.3-23, 36-40, 64; Discourse V, first 4 paragraphs (AT VI:
40-46); Principles
of Philosophy IV.196-99, 203-4
[Matthews 99-108]; Discourse VI 3rd paragraph [AT VI:
63-65], all available online) 2. Newton (Matthews 137-39, 146-158)
1. Sensation:
Essay Epistle to the Reader [Winkler 1-3; Nidditch
6-10]; Essay I.i.1-4,6-8 [Book I, Chapter 1, ¶¶1-4 and 6-8];
II.i.1-8,20,23-25; ii, viii.1-6, iii-vi; vii.1-2,7-10
2. Primary
and Secondary Qualities; Perception: Essay II.viii.7-23;
ix.1-4,8-9; x.1-2; xi,1,4,6,8,9.15,17
3. Substance: Essay
II.xii; xxii.1-5,9; xxiii.1-11,15-20
4. Liberty
and Necessity: Essay
II.xxi.1-5,7-11,13-15,22-25,29-33,40-48,51-53,56
5. Identity:
Essay II.xxvii.1-14
6. Intuitive,
Demonstrative and Experiential Knowledge: Essay IV.i; ii.1-7,14; iii.1-14,17-18,21
7. Existence
of Self, God, and Material Things: Essay
iv.1-12; ix.2-3; x.1-7; xi 8. Probability,
Testimony, and Miracles: Essay IV.xiv-xv;
xvi.1,3-14 9. Reason,
Faith, and Enthusiasm Essay
xviii.1-10; xix (xix available online
or in Nidditch) V. Sceptical challenges to rationalism and empiricism 1. Bayle,
Historical and Critical Dictionary, vol. 4 (London: C. Harper, D.
Brown, J. Tonson, et al., 1710), art. “Pyrrho” main
entry and footnote B (pp.2619-2621), including notes to the footnote,
available online
in ECCO. 2.
Berkeley, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous,
Dialogue 1 up to Hylas’s distinction between
primary and secondary qualities (bottom of p. 187), available online. 3. Berkeley, Three Dialouges between Hylas and Philonous, remainder of Dialogue 1, available online. 4. Berkeley,
Mind
and World, Principles Part I ¶¶1-4, 6-7, 25-33, 89, and 135-156, available online. VI. David Hume 1. Inductive Scepticism, Enquiry Section 4 2. Ideas, Association, and Causal Inference Enquiry Section 5 paragraphs 1-9 and Section 9 3. Natural Belief Enquiry Section 2, Section 3 paragraphs 1-3, and Section 5 paragraphs 10-22 4. Probability and Necessary Connection Enquiry Sections 6-7 5. Miracles and Testimony Enquiry Section 10 6. Existence of Material Things Enquiry Section 12 |
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