Syllabus for PHIL 413.500: History of Modern Philosophy
Spring 2006; Dr. Stephen H. Daniel
Tuesday and Thursday
History of Modern Philosophy examines the major themes and figures of the classical modern period (the 17th and 18th Centuries).
Text: The Longman Standard History of Modern Philosophy by Daniel Kolak and Garrett Thomson (Pearson Longman, 2006)
Recommended secondary source: A History of Philosophy, Frederick Copleston, vols. 4-6.
|
Class meeting |
Topic |
Assigned Reading |
Reading Questions |
|
Jan. 17 |
Introduction: Copernicus, Newton, Bacon |
1-37, 180-203 |
|
|
Jan. 19 |
Descartes: Meditations I & II |
38-49 |
71 - 72 #1-12 |
|
Jan. 24 |
Descartes: Meditations III & IV |
49-61 |
72 #13-17 |
|
Jan. 26 |
Descartes: Meditations V & VI |
61-71, 99-101 |
72 #18-20 |
|
Jan. 31 |
Descartes: Objections and Replies |
72-95 |
97 |
|
Feb. 2 |
Hobbes: metaphysics/epistemology |
203-10, 221 |
220-21 #1-8 |
|
Feb. 7 |
Hobbes & Locke: political phil |
21-220, 269-78 |
221 #9-12; 277 |
|
Feb. 9 |
Spinoza: God |
106-117 |
143 #1-8 |
|
Feb. 14 |
Spinoza: mind-body |
117-30 |
143 #9-13 |
|
Feb. 16 |
Spinoza: emotions/freedom |
130-44 |
143 #14-18 |
|
Feb. 21 |
Leibniz: Letters, Truths |
144-54 |
149, 152, 154 |
|
Feb. 23 |
Leibniz: Discourse on Metaphysics |
155-68 |
168 |
|
Feb. 28 |
Leibniz: Monadology, Letters |
168-77 |
173-74, 176 |
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Mar. 2 |
Mid-semester exam |
|
|
|
Mar. 7 |
Locke: ideas |
222-36 |
268 #1-11 |
|
Mar. 9 |
Locke: cause, substance |
236-55 |
269 #12-17 |
|
Mar. 21 |
Locke: language, knowledge |
255-68 |
269 #18-23 |
|
Mar. 23 |
Berkeley: abstract ideas, existence |
278-94 (sec. 21) |
319 #1-7 |
|
Mar. 28 |
Berkeley: matter, spirit |
294 (sec. 22)-305 |
319-20 #8-16 |
|
Mar. 30 |
Berkeley: nature |
305 (sec. 97)-320 |
320 #17-20 |
|
Apr. 4 |
Hume: association of ideas |
321-35 |
357 #1-12 |
|
Apr. 6 |
Hume: natural belief |
335-50 |
357 #13-18 |
|
Apr. 11 |
Hume: liberty, self |
350-57, 361-71 |
357 #19-21; 369 #4-9 |
|
Apr. 13 |
Voltaire & Rousseau |
373-88 |
379, 387 |
|
Apr. 18 |
Kant: space & time |
389-407 |
463 #1-12 |
|
Apr. 20 |
Kant: categories of understanding |
407-28 |
463 #13-34 |
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Apr. 25 |
Kant: Ideas |
428-40 |
463 #35-38 |
|
Apr. 27 |
Kant: metaphysics |
440-63, 487-89 |
463 #39-43 |
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May 10 (Wednesday) |
Final Exam |
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*No reading questions are assigned for the first day of class.
Office:
Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday
Phone: 845-5619 (office), 846-4649 (home)
Email: sdaniel@people.tamu.edu
Website: http://people.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/413sy06a.html
Grades/Tests
The course grade is based equally on three grades, the mid-semester and final (in-class essay) exams and the composite of answers to questions on the readings. These questions (listed on the pages above) are each worth 1 point. There are 247 questions, so you can accumulate as many as 247 points for this portion of your grade. Some questions have several parts, so to receive full credit for a question, you must answer all parts correctly. On some days, there as few as four questions, on others as many as 21. You must turn in your answers at the beginning of the class in which the readings are discussed. You must also turn in at least three sets of answers prior to mid-semester. There is no grade for attendance, but if you miss a class it usually affects how I grade your answers on tests. If you miss the mid-semester exam, you must arrange to take the make-up exam before the next class meeting (within four days).
Students with disabilities are guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their needs. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Disability Services, Cain Hall B118, or call 845-1637.
Information on cheating and plagiarism can be found at http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/acadmisconduct.htm.
Send
Dr. Daniel a message: sdaniel@people.tamu.edu
(If you are sending a message from a campus terminal, don't forget to
include your email address in the message so that he can reply to you.)
