Philosophy Department

1200 Academy St. Kalamazoo, MI 49006

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Required Books:
Hume, David.  (P. H. Nidditch, ed.) A Treatise of Human Nature.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978.
Reid, Thomas. (Ronald E. Beanblossom and Keith Lehrer, ed.s) Inquiry and Essays.  Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1983.
Kant, Immanual.  (N. Kemp Smith, trans.)  Critique of Pure Reason.  London: Macmillan, 1985.

Handout:
Berkeley, George.  (Kenneth Winkler, ed.)  A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge.  Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1982, Part I, paragraphs 1-37.

For students enrolled in this course only:
To download the optional reading available on-line, click here and enter your Henson username and password.

Course Goals:
In this course we will be exploring some of the most important philosophical ideas of the eighteenth century.  We will pay particular attention to theories about perception and belief in the external world as presented in Hume, Reid and Kant.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding the theories in their historical context while maintaining a critical stance towards the truth of these theories.  Advanced students will be encouraged to draw connections between the epistemological theories of Hume and Kant and these philosophers’ views on ethics.  They will also be encouraged to draw upon secondary sources on reserve in the library.

Required work:

Grading:
Your grade will depend equally on three factors: the two exams and the quizzes.  The frequency and quality of your class participation can also affect your final grade for the course, especially if your average for the course falls between two grades.
The quizzes will consist of short questions such as definitions and true/false.  Quizzes will not be announced, and there will be no make-up quizzes.  Quiz grades will be on a percentage basis.  Students who must miss quizzes because of true emergencies, illness or religious holidays are required to notify me in advance.  Students with excused absences will have their quiz grades computed as a percentage of a lower number of points, depending on how many points were on the quizzes missed.  Quizzes missed with no excused absence will receive no credit.

Assignments and deadlines for the papers will be distributed in class.  Late papers will be accepted at a penalty of one letter grade per day.  No excuses will be accepted for an assignment after the deadline has passed.