Philosophy Department

COURSE GOALS: This course introduces students to 19th-century, Continental-European philosophy by focussing on a single issue: namely the problem of how humans develop personal identities in social settings.  We will explore how Kant, Schiller, Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche conceive of "autonomous" or "free" self-determination -- the education of the self, if you will.  These philosophers offer quite different accounts of the role of reason, will, imagination, skills and interpersonal relations in the formation of self.

EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, vocabulary quizzes, midterm examinations and a final paper.
 
 
 
 

Class Participation, seminar presentations and discussion		10%
Midterm examinations	2 @ 20% each	40%
Quizzes	5 @ 5% each	25%
Final Paper	10-15 pages	25%

 

 
POLICIES:

          Open, respectful and critical discussion is the life-blood of this course.  Quizzes
     offer students and teacher the opportunity to identify and to clarify central terms/concepts.
     The midterm examinations test comprehension of key philosophical issues, 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.
 
 

TEXTS:

     1.  Solomon, Robert: Continental Philosophy Since 1750: The Rise and Fall of the Self(Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1990).

     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: The Sickness Unto Death: A Christian Psychological Exposition For
     Upbruilding And Awakenings (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey 1980).

     6.  Nietzsche, Friedrich: On The Genealogy of Morals & Ecce Homo (Vintage Books, New
     York 1967).
 

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.
 
 

1.  HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION: THE KANTIAN LEGACY

TUES, SEPT 22ND:                                                                               WEEK ONE
     1.  Introductory Lecture: "Kant's Transcendental Idealism."

THURS, SEPT 24TH:
     1.  Solomon, Part 1 (pp. 1 - 77).
     2.  Quiz #1.
 

2.  SCHILLER'S RECONCILIATION OF FREEDOM AND NATURE: AESTHETIC
SELF-DEVELOPMENT

 
TUES, SEPT 29TH:                                                                                  WEEK TWO
     1.  Solomon, Part 1 (Cont.)
     2.  Schiller, Letter One to Twelve.

THURS, OCT 1ST:
     1.  Schiller, Letters Thirteen to Twenty-Seven.
     2.  Quiz #2.
 
 
TUES, OCT 6TH:                                                                                    WEEK THREE
     1.  Schiller, Letters Thirteen to Twenty-Seven. (Cont.)..
 

THURS, OCT 8TH:
     1.  Schiller (end).
     2.  Quiz #3.

3.  HEGEL'S ACCOUNT OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT: LOGICAL SELF-
DETERMINATION.
 

TUES, OCT 13TH:                                                                                    WEEK FOUR
     1.  Hegel, "Philosophy Must Become Scientific."         (pp. 1-29).
 

THURS, OCT 15TH:

     1.  Hegel, "The idea of a Phenomenology of the Spirit" (pp. 29-57).
     2.  Quiz #4.
     3.  Evening Movie: Waterland.
 
 
 
 

TUES, OCT 20TH:                                                                                        WEEK FIVE
     1.  Hegel, "Truth" & "Conclusion" (pp. 57-113).
     2.  First Midterm Examination.
 

THURS, OCT 22ND:
     1.  Hegel, "The Struggle of Master and Slave" [Handout].
     2.  Evening movie: "The Collector."
 
 

4.  MARX'S CRITIQUE OF IDEALISM: THE MATERIALIST ACCOUNT OF
SELF-FORMATION.

TUES, OCT 27TH:                                                                                            WEEK SIX
     1.  Marx, "Discovering Hegel (Marx to his father)," "Theses on Feuerbach," & "The German
     Ideology: Part One." [handout].

THURS, OCT 29TH:
     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."
 

TUES, NOV 3RD:                                                                                            WEEK SEVEN
     1.  Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, Preface, Introduction and "Despair Is the Sickness unto
     Death" and "The Universality of This Sickness" (pp. 13-28).
     2.  Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, "The Forms of This Sickness" (pp. 29-74).
 

THURS, NOV 5TH:
     1.  Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, "Despair is Sin" (pp. 77-104).
 

TUES, NOV 10TH:                                                                                            WEEK EIGHT
     1.  Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, "The Continuance of Sin" (pp. 106-131).

THURS., NOV. 12TH:
     1.  Kierkegaard (end).
 

6.  NEITZSCHE'S GENEALOGICAL "UNMASKING" OF IDEALISM AND
MATERIALISM: THE SELF AS THE WILL TO POWER.

 
TUES., NOV. 17TH:                                                                                          WEEK NINE
     1.  Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, Preface, "'Good and Evil,' 'Good and Bad'" (pp. 1-57).

THURS., NOV. 19TH:
     1.  Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, "'Guilt,' 'Bad Conscience,' and the Like" (pp. 57-97).

TUES, NOV 24TH:                                                                                            WEEK TEN
     1.  Student Evaluations.

FINALS WEEK