1) Monday: 8:00 - 10:00.
2) Wednesday: 3:00- 4:00.
3) By Appointment.
COURSE
GOALS:
This course introduces students to 19th-century, Continental-European
philosophy by reading representative works by Kant, Schiller, Hegel, Marx,
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. The central theme of the course is the concept
of human freedom. We begin by examining Immanuel Kant's famous "Copernican
Revolution" in philosophy, in which he limited human knowledge to
a "mechanically conceived" nature in order to introduce a radical
conception of human freedom. We will then examine, in chronological order,
how the majors figures of the 19th-century tradition interpret, criticize,
and develop Kant's radically new conception of human freedom, particularly
in light of its sharp contrast to natural causality. A central question
raised by post-Kantian philosophers is how such a radical conception of
human freedom could account for how human actually develop and shape their
identities in social settings. What would count as a "free" or "autonomous"
self-determination of one's own life with others. As we will see, each
subsequent philosopher offers a different account of how such self-shaping
is possible.
EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, vocabulary
quizzes, midterm examinations and a final paper.
| TYPE OF EVALUATION |
FREQUENCY |
TOTAL |
| Class Participation: Seminar presentations, classroom discussion
and email correspondence |
|
10% |
| Midterm Assignment |
1 @ 30% = |
30% |
| Quizzes |
6 @ 5% = |
30% |
| Final Paper (10-15 pages) |
1 @ 30% = |
30% |
POLICIES:
Students are expected to follow the reading schedule and to come to class
prepared to actively discuss the texts they have read. More specifically,
students must bring their texts to class with marginal notes, highlighted
or underlined passages of particular importance, and pages marked where
they have encountered difficulties in understanding the material. Quizzes
offer students the opportunity to identify and to clarify central terms
and concepts. The midterm assignments allow student to write essays on key
philosophical issues and arguments, and the final paper offers students
the opportunity to respond in depth to a single topic. The final paper is
due on the day scheduled for the final examination. 3 unexcused absences
will result in a full grade reduction. Late papers will be marked down a
half grade for the first day and a full grade for the second day. All work
must be turned in at the end of term, unless alternative assignments have
been given by the instructor.
TEXTS:
1. Pinkard, Terry. German
Philosophy, 1760-1860 : The Legacy of Idealism (Cambridge,
UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002)
2. Schiller, Friedrich: On The Aesthetic Education
of Man In a Series of Letters (Oxford University Press, Oxford
1982).
3. Hegel, G.W.F. [Ed. Walter Kaufmann]: Hegel:
Texts and Commentary (University of Notre Dame Press, Notre
Dame, Indiana 1975).
4. Marx, Karl/ Engels, Friedrich [Ed. Robert C. Tucker]: The
Marx-Engels Reader (W. W. Norton & Company, New York 1972)
[Excerpts].
5. Kierkegaard, Soren: Fear and Trembling
(Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1983).6. Nietzsche,
Friedrich: Beyond Good and Evil (Vintage
Books, New York 1989).
GERMAN ACROSS THE CURRICULUM COMPONENT:
Selected texts may be read in the German
original. GAC students will be given alternative assignments and weekly
tutorials.
BRIDGE READING COMPONENT:Students
interested in linking course material to their major course of
study will be given special readings and assignments. Tutorial meetings
are required, and the final paper must
be completed in consultation with professor in home department.
Psychology: Students interested in exploring
the philosophical foundations of developmental psychology will be
given readings that link the course to the works of Jean Piaget, Lawrence
Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan. Students interested in issues of identity
formation in self-psychology and psychoanalysis will be given a different
set of readings. See Psychology Bridge-Readings (Philosophy Homepage).
Political Science: Students
interested in examining the philosophical roots of current debates in
political theory and feminist philosophy will be given readings by contemporary
political thinkers who analyze modern politics in the light of 19th-century
philosophers.
Religion: Students interested
in a fuller examination of Kierkegaard's theology in contemporary discussions
will be given readings that discuss Kierkegaard's critique of secular
identity formation.
READING
SCHEDULE
1. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION:
THE KANTIAN LEGACY:
WEEK ONE
TUESDAY:
1. Introductory Lecture: "Kant's Transcendental Idealism."
THURSDAY:
1. Pinkard, Introduction (pp. 1-19).
2. Pinkard, "The Revolution in Philosophy (1): Human Spontaneity
and the Natural Order (pp. 19 - 45).
3. Pinkard, "The Revolution in Philosophy (2): Autonomy and the
Moral Order (pp. 45 - 66).
TUESDAY:
1. Pinkard, "The Revolution in Philosophy (3):
Aesthetic Taste, Teleology, and the World Order (pp. 66 - 82)
2. Quiz #1.
2.
SCHILLER'S RECONCILIATION OF FREEDOM AND NATURE: AESTHETIC
SELF-DEVELOPMENT:
THURSDAY:
1.Schiller, Letter One to Twelve.
2. Quiz #2.
TUESDAY:
1. Schiller, Letters Thirteen to Twenty-Seven (Cont.).
WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVIE: American Beauty
(8:00 PM, OU 103):
THURSDAY:
1. Schiller (end).
2.Quiz #3.
3.
HEGEL'S ACCOUNT OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT: LOGICAL SELF-DETERMINATION AS SELF-HISTORICIZING:
WEEK FOUR
TUESDAY:
1. Pinkard, "The 1790s: Fichte.
2. Hegel, "Philosophy Must Become Scientific." (pp. 1-29).
WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVIE: Waterland
(8:00 PM, OU 103).
THURSDAY:
1.Hegel, "The idea of a Phenomenology of the Spirit" (pp. 29-57).
2. Pinkard, "Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit (pp. 214 -
246).
3. Quiz #4.
TUESDAY:
1.Hegel, "Truth" & "Conclusion" (pp. 57-113).
2.First Midterm Examination.
WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVIE: The
Collector (8:00 PM, OU 103).
THURSDAY:
1. Hegel, "The Struggle of Master and Slave" [Handout].
4. MARX'S CRITIQUE
OF IDEALISM: THE MATERIALIST ACCOUNT OF
SELF-FORMATION:
WEEK SIX
TUESDAY:
1. Marx, "Discovering Hegel (Marx to his father)," "Theses on Feuerbach,"
& "The German
Ideology: Part One." [handout].
THURSDAY:
1. Marx, "Discovering Hegel (Marx to his father)," "Theses on Feuerbach,"
& "The German
Ideology: Part One" (finish).
5. KIERKEGAARD'S ATTACK UPON AUTO-TELIC
ACCOUNTS OF IDENTITY
FORMATION: "RESTING TRANSPARENTLY IN ANOTHER":
WEEK SEVEN
TUESDAY:
1. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, Preface, "Preface," "Exordium,"
& "Eulogy on Abraham" (pp.
1-27).
WEDNESDAY EVENING MOVIE: Babette's
Feast (8:00 PM, OU 103):
THURSDAY:
1. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, "Preliminary Expectoration" &
"Problema 1" (pp. 27-68).
TUESDAY:
1. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (end.)
THURSDAY:
1. Kierkegaard Discussion and Review.
6. NIETZSCHE'S GENEALOGICAL "UNMASKING" OF
IDEALISM ANDMATERIALISM: THE SELF AS THE WILL TO POWER:
TUESDAY:
1.The Genealogy of Morals, Preface & "Good and Evil, "Good
and Bad (pp. 1-57)
THURSDAY:
1. The Genealogy of Morals, "Guilt," "Bad Conscience,"
and the Like, (pp. 57-97).
WEEK TEN
TUESDAY: WEEK TEN
1. Closing Comments.
Student Evaluations.
FINALS WEEK |
