Philosophy 58: Modern Philosophy (Descartes through Kant)
Fall 2003; Section 1: Caldwell Hall 105
Monday and Wednesday, 6:00-7:15pm

 

Instructor: Ted Parent
Email: tparent@email.unc.edu
Phone: 962-3329; Office: Caldwell Hall 210B
Office Hours: Monday 5:00-6:00pm, Thursday 1:00-2:00pm, and by appointment.
Course Website: http://www.unc.edu/~tparent/phil58.html

 

This course is a survey of the major philosophers from the 17th and 18th century. Specifically, we will study the main metaphysical and epistemological writings of Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. We will attempt to appreciate these writings in their historical context, but also try to assess the arguments from our own philosophical vantage point.

           
Texts:

Descartes, René. Meditations on First Philosophy, 3rd ed. trans. Donald Cress; Hackett, 1993.
Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, ed. Nidditch; Oxford, 1975.

Berkeley, George. Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, Hackett, 1979

Hume, David. Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding; Hackett, 1977.
Kant, Immanuel. Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics, trans. Carus/Ellington; Hackett 1977.

 

Course Assignments:
(1) Every Wednesday (with a few exceptions; see below), there will be an in-class writing assignment (about a paragraph in length) on the reading for that week. Satisfactory performance on these assignments is a requirement for the course, which means that unsatisfactory performance can lower your final grade. However, exemplary performance on these assignments can also act as “extra credit” to boost your final grade.
(2) Midterm Exam on Oct 17th worth 30% of the final grade.
(3) Paper (no min length; max 10 pages) due Nov 14th worth 40% of the final grade.
(4) Final Exam on Dec 12 worth 30% of the final grade.

 

No late assignments accepted. If you are unwilling to abide by this policy, please drop the course.

 

N.B. Excellent or poor participation/attendance will also affect your final grade. In extreme cases, poor attendance will result in an automatic ‘F’ for the course, regardless of your performance on the assignments.

 

 

 

 

 

Tentative Schedule

    
*WEEK ONE
Aug. 31               Introductory session.

 

WEEK TWO: Descartes
Sept. 5, 7         Meditations One and Two.

 

WEEK THREE: Descartes
Sept. 12, 14     Meditation Two (cont’); Meditation Six.

 

WEEK FOUR: Locke
Sept. 19           The Essay, Bk. I, chs. 1, 2, 4.

Sept. 21           The Essay, Bk II, chs. 1, 2, 8, 23, 33.

 

WEEK FIVE: Locke
Sept. 26           The Essay, Bk IV, chs. 1, 2, 3 (sections 1-6 only), 4.

 Sept 28           The Essay, Bk III, chs. 1, 3.

 

WEEK SIX: Berkeley

Oct. 3, 5          First and Second Dialogues.                 

 

WEEK SEVEN: Berkeley
Oct. 10, 12      Second Dialogue (cont’); Third Dialogue.

                       

*WEEK EIGHT:
Oct. 17            Midterm Exam

Oct. 19            FALL BREAK

 

WEEK NINE: Hume

Oct. 24, 26      The Enquiry, sections 1-3

 

WEEK TEN: Hume

Oct. 31            The Enquiry, section 4

Nov 2              The Treatise, Bk. I, Pt. 4, section 6, Appendix , sections 10-21. [Available online.]

 

WEEK ELEVEN: Hume
Nov. 7             The Treatise, Bk. I, Pt. 4, section 6, Appendix , sections 10-21 (cont’)

Nov. 9             The Enquiry, sections 10-11.

 

*WEEK TWELVE: Kant
Nov. 14, 16     Prolegomena, Preface and Preamble. Paper Due Nov. 14th

 

WEEK THIRTEEN: Kant

Nov. 21, 23     Prolegomena, First Part and Second Part        

WEEK FOURTEEN: Kant
Nov. 28, 30     Prolegomena, Second Part (cont’) and Third Part

 

*WEEK FIFTEEN: Kant
Dec. 5, 7          Prolegomena, Third Part (cont’); Conclusion

 

Final Exam on Monday, Dec 12 in Caldwell Hall 105. .

 

*Indicates a week where there will NOT be an in-class writing assignment.

 

 

Honor code:
The Chancellor has asked faculty to include the following statement in all course syllabi.

 

   "The Honor Code prohibits lying, cheating or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University, student or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.  The Campus Code requires students to conduct themselves in such ways as not to impair the welfare or the educational opportunities of others in the University community.  As a UNC student, you have accepted a commitment to the Honor Code and the Campus Code, and the principles of academic integrity, personal honesty, and responsible citizenship on which they were founded more than 100 years ago.
    "Academic dishonesty in any form is unacceptable, because it circumvents the purpose of the University's life and work.  As a faculty member, I have a responsibility to report any possible Honor Code violations to the Student Attorney General. I trust that you will join me in supporting the Honor Code by signing the Honor Pledge on all written work, and by consulting me if you are uncertain about your responsibilities within this course."