Syllabus

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 [Paris: Vrin,
  l973-76]), cited as “AT” with volume number in Roman and page in Arabic
  numbers.  The pagination of this
  edition is given in the margins of all good editions and translations of
  Descartes’s works.  References to Locke
  are to book/chapter/paragraph numbers. 
  You should follow this reference format in all your work for this
  course.  For details see the Course Texts and
  Readings page.
 
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)
 
IV. John Locke
           
  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
 