| Winter 2008: | MWF 2:40-3:55, Upjohn Library 306 |
| Instructor: | Prof.
Ashley McDowell
|
| Office: | 202 Humphrey House |
| Office phone: | 337-7077 |
| email: | mcdowell[at]kzoo.edu or ashley.mcdowell[at]gmail.com |
| Office hours: | MWF 1:15-2:15, Tues 2:00-3:00, and by appointment |
| Texts: | Garrett Thomson, Bacon to
Kant: An Introduction to Modern Philosophy
Articles made available
electronically
|
| Note on Moodle: | this course website will include useful information – go to https://moodle.kzoo.edu/ and find our course, and get yourself logged on. |
| Note on email: | I will be sending mail to the class alias,
which only knows your K email address. Make sure your K email is forwarded to whatever email account you use
regularly, if it’s something else.
|
Description:
This is an intermediate course on the history of
Western philosophy in what’s called the “early modern” period – roughly, the 17th
and 18th centuries. This is
history of philosophy, not history, so we won’t be studying events, societies,
or backgrounds; rather, we’ll be studying the views of these figures,
especially in context of each other and their predecessors. The important thing here is to understand
what these philosophers were probably trying to say about these issues, what
they were interested in, and what arguments they used in coming to their
conclusions.
In particular, we’ll be focusing on four
philosophers: Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume; and we’ll be further
focusing on their views in the areas of epistemology (the study of
belief and knowledge) and metaphysics (the study of the nature of
reality). This includes issues of
·
what
and how we know things (and what it is to know things);
·
whether
reality is as we perceive it or not, and how we might know that;
·
how
we deal with the strong argument that we don’t really know what we think
we do;
·
what
the nature of causation is;
·
whether
or not we have free will;
·
what
we can know about God and the implications of his existence and nature;
·
what
the relationship is between mind and body.
In
general, this period is of great interest because, first, a remarkable
flourishing of philosophy occurred, with several of the most brilliant
philosophers of all time making their discoveries. Also, though, it is an interesting period because it marked a
major transition in the West. When
scientific thinking replaced its predecessors, it was a mystery how thinking
would take place after that.
I would like you to think about
whether the questions they were facing might be ones we are faced with as well. They include things like:
Course
Goals:
Since this is a history of philosophy course, the
focus is on mastering the views and arguments of the specific philosophers
we’ll study. I’d like you to understand
them better in and of themselves, and also as they relate to each other. I’d also like you to understand the issues
they’re debating – their significance, difficulty, and place in contemporary
thinking as well as in your own thinking.
Although the difficult material we’ll be reading
will mean I’ll have to do a good bit of outright lecturing, I also intend to
engage in as much discussion as possible, and all students will be expected to
contribute. I may sometimes have you
break up into pairs or groups to work on an in-class assignment or
discussion. Since philosophical
learning is best done in an environment of discussion, attendance and
participation are expected. In-class discussions
will be conducted with respect and a mutual interest in solving these problems,
so that all views will be open to thoughtful criticism. We will be approaching
other views – and our own – with an open-minded but critical eye. The focus will be on providing and assessing
arguments for positions, to try to come to the most thoughtful position
possible on these questions. Students
will be evaluated on how well you have learned the views and arguments of the
authors studied.
You will be responsible for completing the readings
before each class, and being prepared to discuss those readings. You should be aware that some of the
readings in this course most likely will be quite challenging for you. Give yourself plenty of time to do these
readings carefully. Those who want to
truly excel in this class will want to read each assignment at least twice,
and take notes on the readings (before and after class works well for many
people). I will sometimes provide study questions to guide your reading. You must bring with you to class whatever
text(s) we are working on for that day and the one before, any homework or
assignment due that day, and any study or reading questions I might have
provided.
Exams
on each philosopher: 60% (15% each)
After we finish studying each philosopher, there
will be an in-class exam on that philosopher’s work. The exam on Hume will take place on your final exam day (Wed
3/19), but will take the same amount of time as the other three exams. These exams may include essay questions,
short answer, true/false, or other formats.
They are designed to test not your memorization skills, but your genuine
grasp of the material, its significance, and its role within an overall
view. You will need to become familiar
with the key concepts, terms, definitions, positions, and arguments from each
philosopher. Learning things like
definitions in this context is not busywork but a fundamental component of understanding
the views.
I will give you more information about the tests as
we go along, as well as study guides and help.
Reflections
essays: 20% (5% each)
Toward the end of our studying each philosopher, you’ll turn in reflections essays on the material we’ve been covering. I’ll provide a series of questions to focus you and launch your reflection. You should attempt to address the issues I raise, but your essay may or may not directly answer every question. The essay should not be a series of my questions and your answers, but should be a synthesized response.
Your personal experiences are a crucial part of your
reflections, but these experiences must be subject to your analysis and should
make comparisons and connections to our readings. Be ready to devote meaningful time to writing these essays. I do not expect polished papers, with things
like thesis statements and conclusions.
Rather, I’m looking for good quality, thorough reflections that include
consideration of deeper implications as well as appropriate and effective
references to the readings. I’m also
looking for genuine engagement and effort to make connections – think about
whether your writing reveals the risks that lead to striking insights.[1]
Final
compare & contrast essay: 10%
You
will turn in an approximately 6-page paper during exam week. This paper will be an essay comparing and
contrasting the views of three of the philosophers (your choice) on one key
issue (also your choice). See the
issues in the course description above for some possibilities – you’ll choose
your issue in consultation with me, and should work on this as an ongoing
project as we move through the quarter, keeping track of a few possible issues
and the philosophers’ approaches to them.
You might keep a journal, compile notes, use a color-coding system, construct
a chart, or whatever works for you. I
may have you check in with me or your classmates on the status of this project
on specific, announced days.
Participation
and demonstrated preparedness: 10%
Participation is expected. In a philosophy class of this kind, discussion is absolutely
essential, and may be the way you learn most about the material. I know that participation is difficult for
some people, but you can consider this a safe place to practice contributing to
a group discussion, which you will surely need to do throughout your life.
I will keep general track of your contributions in
class. Keep in mind that contributions
can take various forms, including asking for clarification, participation in
group work, and giving helpful examples.
Keep in mind also that more does not necessarily mean better: those who
excessively dominate discussions, speak disrespectfully, or otherwise use their
voices in a negative way may be penalized for doing so. If you are in doubt, or if you are interested
in advice about how to participate more effectively or more easily, ask me.
Demonstrated preparedness includes evidence of your
having read the assignments carefully, thought about and tried to answer any
study questions or tasks I’ve given, prepared questions or comments in advance
of class, and kept up with ongoing work on your final paper project.
Again, if you want to know how you’re doing on this,
or want to talk about how to do this well, get in touch with me.
Assignment
responsibilities:
All assignments must be turned in as hard (paper)
copies – no emailed assignments will be accepted except by special
permission. It is your responsibility
to retain copies of all assignments you turn in, in a reliable format.
Late assignments and missed quizzes for which you do
not have a strong, documented excuse will be assessed a penalty of at least 10%
reduction in grade, or more if significantly late. Let me know right away if you’re turning something in late or missing
class, and we’ll work out the details.
A note on changing grades: if you feel you have been
assigned a grade unfairly or inaccurately, you should by all means talk to me
about it. My only requirement is that
you prepare an argument (a set of reasons and facts) before you do so.
Academic
integrity and the Honor System
“It
is always important to think of the intellectual world as a community of mutual
dependence, mutual helpfulness, mutual protectiveness, and common delight. We take ideas from others and we give them
to others. We are indebted to others,
and others are indebted to us. In
sharing and acknowledging the community, we define ourselves more certainly as
individuals. The ability to describe
our sources is also an ability to define our own originality and our own
selves. All communities depend on
generosity, trust, definition, and the proper use of sources is part of the
mortar that holds the community of the mind together.”
-
Richard
Marius, Expository Writing Program, Harvard University
In this class, as in all classes at Kalamazoo
College, we will be operating under the Honor System. It is important that you familiarize yourself with that
system. You should also familiarize
yourself with proper procedures for collaborating, doing research, and citing
sources. I expect each of you to visit
my read the essay on the Moodle site called “Plagiarism and How to Avoid
It.” Should you have any questions
about citations, plagiarism, or honor system issues, please visit or contact
me.
Any assignment you turn in that I find to violate academic
integrity, either through dishonesty, plagiarism, lack of appropriate
citations, or unauthorized collaboration, will receive a grade of 0. Any further instance of a violation of
academic integrity will be punished by a failing grade in the class as a minimum
sanction.[2]
If you have any special needs that I can
accommodate, please let me know as soon as possible.
Office
hours
My office hours are posted above. They will be conducted on a first-come,
first-served basis, and by appointment, with appointments taking
precedence. You should feel absolutely
free to come to them and discuss the course, the material, the assignments, or
philosophy.
A
note on reading: don’t succumb to the misconception that in
order to read something you only have to move your eyes over the lines, or
“read it out loud in your head,” so to speak.
What I expect is that you will read the material in a more sophisticated
way, thinking as you go. You should be
asking yourself the main points, making sure you understand the structure of
the reading, thinking about how this reading relates to others you’ve done, and
otherwise working to comprehend the material, not just to complete a
technical “reading” of it. You might
try highlighting, underlining, making margin notes, or outlining – whatever
helps you focus and understand.
This schedule is tentative. Any changes will be announced in class and by email. The reading assignments listed for each day must be completed before that class. Readings must be brought physically to class.
W Thomson
(referred to here as “T”) Intro: pgs. 1-8
F T: introduction to the Rationalists, Descartes biography,
and Ch. 1 pt. 1 (pg 9-top of pg 20); Cummins & Owen (referred to here as “C&O”):
introduction to Descartes, synopsis, and Meditation I
M T: Ch. 1 part 2 (pg20-25); C&O: Meditation II
W T: Ch. 2; C&O: Meditations III-V
F Descartes continued; review readings
W T: Ch.3; C&O: Meditation VI
F Elisabeth of Bohemia, “Selections from Her Correspondence
with Descartes,” and Margaret Cavendish, “Selections from Philosophical
Letters” (available electronically)
WEEK FOUR
M Descartes exam
Locke
W T: introduction to the Empiricists, Locke biography, &
Ch. 13; C&O: intro to Locke; selections from Essay TBA
F T: Ch. 14; C&O: selections from Essay TBA
WEEK FIVE
M C&O: selections from Essay TBA
W T: Ch. 15; C&O: selections from Essay TBA
F C&O: selections from Essay TBA
WEEK SIX
M Locke exam
Berkeley
W C&O: Principles introduction
F C&O: The First Dialogue
M C&O: The Second and Third Dialogues
W T: Ch. 16
F T: Ch. 17; C&O: Principles 1-33
WEEK EIGHT
M Mary Shepherd “Selections from Essays on the Perception
of an External Universe” (available electronically)
W Berkeley exam
Hume
F T: Ch. 18; C&O: Enquiry I-VII
M review Friday’s readings
W T: Ch. 19
F NO CLASS
M T: Ch. 20
W C&O: Enquiry Sections 8, 10, 11
F Hume continued