PHI 185

Modern Philosophy

Have a good summer.

Spring 2003
W 6:15 – 9:00 LA 203

Prof. Rudy Garns • Office: LA 240 • Phone: 572-5528
garns@nku.edu • http://access.nku.edu/garns

Course Description: Study of the history of philosophy is not approached here as one might approach the history of other disciplines. We will examine the philosophy of the early modern period not merely out of curiosity or out of respect for our past, but because we want to consider the issues, problems, and ideas that remain important for philosophers today. Intellectual biography will not be our objective, nor will we be concerned much with names and dates (though we will on occasion point out the significant cultural, religious, and scientific themes that are relevant to the philosophers' ideas and the period in which they were developed). We will be concerned about what is ultimately real in the world, whether we have free will, what we can know, whether we can prove that God exists, and the nature of mind or mentality.

Focusing on the early modern period (though the course could be used to cover the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries), our sights will be set on the work of six very influential philosophers in the western tradition from 17th and 18th century—Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Hume and Kant—, and we will pay close attention to the issues they find important, the views they held with respect to those issues, and the arguments they used to defend those views. Common themes will be traced among the philosophers' positions and differences will be highlighted. Three different sections of the course will each pair up the views of two philosophers. First, we will look at how Spinoza’s philosophy can be understood as a careful and thoughtful extension of Descartes’ ideas. Both philosophers are considered to exemplify a rationalist approach to philosophy. Second, we will compare the empiricist Locke with the rationalist Leibniz to see more clearly how rationalism differs from empiricism. Finally we will see how the radical empiricism of Hume led Kant’s Transcendental Idealism and a revolutionary way of thinking about knowledge.

Steven Cahn's book contains many of the important writings of these philosophers. Though we won't be reading all that is contained there, we will be working very closely with sections of it.

Class time will be spent in lecture, discussion and collaboration—I will expect the students in the course to read the assigned material carefully and to contribute much to the discussions. Since the course is a survey of significant trends, ideas and issues, we shall have to move quickly through many topics. Topics or questions that are especially interesting or vital, however, can receive careful and critical attention. No previous study in philosophy is presumed: the course is offered as an introduction to philosophy, though experienced students should find it interesting and useful.

Course Goals and Objectives: The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to the major issues, ideas and themes of the early modern period in philosophy. Anyone successfully completing the course will be familiar with these issues, ideas and themes and with the important arguments for, and the criticisms against, the variety of positions we discuss.

• At the end of the course successful students will be able to explain and discuss critically the following concepts, positions and problems: Empiricism, Rationalism, Idealism, analytic and synthetic propositions, a priori and a posteriori knowledge, innate knowledge, primary and secondary qualities, Essentialism, Skepticism, appearance and reality, Representative Realism, Dualism, Materialism, Substance Monism, substance and attribute, necessity and causation, the problem of induction.
• At the end of the course successful students will be able to articulate different approaches to the following traditional philosophical questions: What is ultimately real? What can we know? Do we have free will? Can we prove that a God exists? and Is the mind distinct from the body?
• At the end of the course successful students will be able to articulate the traditional arguments for and against a variety of philosophical positions that we discuss in class.
• At the end of the course successful students will be able to discuss the main lines of thinking for each of the following philosophers: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Hume, and Kant.

It is another goal that you become a better critical thinker and reader. You should become more comfortable reading primary texts in philosophy and better able to find, articulate and evaluate main lines of reasoning within these texts.

• At the end of the course successful students will be able to read primary texts and comprehend the main lines of thought.
• At the end of the course successful students will be able to identify arguments (premises and conclusions) in primary texts.
• At the end of the course successful students will be able to explain the reasoning in appropriately challenging philosophical passages.

In addition you should develop a sensitivity for philosophical issues in general and for the manner in which philosophers approach these issues. The successful student will be able to engage effectively in further study in philosophy.

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:00 - 10:00 am, or by appointment

Texts:

• Steven M Cahn, ed., Classics of Western Philosophy, 6th edition (Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 2002). Required.
• Richard Schacht, Classical Modern Philosophers (Routledge, 1984). Recommended.

Web Material: There will be a web page for this class and I will ask you to retrieve material from this site and to use some of the applications that are available there. The class page at http://access.nku.edu/garns will serve as a central location from which I will make available class handouts, announcements, and a directory of useful internet links. You should register online as soon as possible and find our class page. Everyone is expected to have an email account.

Course Requirements: The final grade will be a function of the following: general participation, several quizzes, occasional homework and three comprehensive exams. Anyone not meeting all the requirements will fail the course.

• Attendance: Chronic absenteeism will not be tolerated. A necessary condition for getting an A in the course is that you attend 90% of the classes. A necessary condition for getting an B in the course is that you attend 80% of the classes. A C requires you attend at least 70% of the classes, and to pass the course you must attend at least 60% of the classes. Attendance is not, of course, a sufficient condition for earning a particular grade. Since attendance will be recorded at the beginning of class either through a roll call or from quiz participation, I recommend that you arrive at class on time. There will be no excused absences. Students who arrive late or leave early might not receive credit for attending the whole class.
• Quizzes: The quizzes could include multiple-choice, True/False, short answer and short essay questions. The quizzes will be cumulative, though each will have a particular focus. Quizzes will be offered regularly.
• Exams. The three exams will follow each section of the course and each will be comprehensive and reflect the kinds of quiz questions and in-class assignments you experienced during the semester.
• Homework and in-class work: You will be required to attend class regularly, complete all reading and homework assignments, and participate appropriately in the discussions and collaborative projects. As a matter of common practice I will call on students frequently to summarize for the class assigned reading or previous classroom discussions. Another part of the final grade will depend on grades accumulated through homework assignments, in-class projects, and classroom participation. All assigned work is required, but not all required work will be graded.

My evidence for adequate preparation and participation in class is your behavior. Those who regularly ask questions and take part in class discussions are clearly actively involved in the class; and those who regularly attend class, listen attentively to lectures and discussions, and complete assignments on time are also involved in the class (though to a lesser degree). Failure to attend class or to complete assignments, sleeping in class, talking to neighbors and other disruptive behavior will count against you.

Grading: The final grade for the course should be understood as my assessment of your overall level of achievement in the class based on all the evidence available to me. Grades accumulated from quizzes, homework, the exams, and class participation will constitute the bulk of that evidence. All assigned work is required work, unless I indicate otherwise. This is not to say that all assigned work is graded work or work that will contribute in large part toward the final grade. I understand the particular letter grades in terms of the descriptions given in the recent university catalog. A grade of C "represents average achievement, the minimum expected of a college student." Better or worse work is possible and will be reflected in the grade. If you have any questions about how well you are doing in the class, please come and talk with me.

Instructor's prerogative: I reserve the right to alter the conditions stated in this syllabus at any time during the semester should such alterations better facilitate meeting the course objectives. I will, in such a case, provide notice in class. It is the student's responsibility to be in class and get this information.

A few suggestions:

• Since much of what you can learn will come from discussions and lectures in class, attendance is crucial. Participate in classroom discussions. Think about the material before class and raise questions during class.
• Take advantage of my office hours if you are having the slightest bit of trouble or if you want to discuss some of the issues beyond what the class period allows. I am always willing to make appointments if my scheduled hours are inconvenient.
• Homework is due at class time. Assignments cannot be made up and I will not accept them late.
• I never grant makeup quizzes or exams.
• Cheating will not be tolerated. To be caught at cheating is to fail the course. Plagiarism is also intolerable. If you are unsure whether a certain act constitutes plagiarism, ask me before you commit the act.
• Common courtesy demands that you respect others in the classroom by not speaking unless you have the floor, by listening when others have the floor, and by arriving at class on time. Lack of common courtesy will be reflected in the final grade.

Important dates:

Mar 12: No class

Mar 28: Last day to drop with a W

May 7: Final exam

Reading:

During the semester will be reading from the following texts, all of which can be found in Cahn’s anthology:

Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy
Leibniz, Monadology
Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics (selections)
Spinoza, Ethics (Parts I and II)
Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (selections)
Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (selections)
Kant, Critique of Pure Reason (selections)

Specific reading assignments will be posted in advance. You are expected to read each assignment carefully and critically before class. Additional reading will be announced in class and made available in the library or on the web.