PHGA 5005 Classical Modern Philosophy
Professor Jude Jones
Spring 2008
Monday, 2:00–4:00 PM

This course will be a survey of the major figures and themes in the Classical Modern Period (late Renaissance to about 1800: Hobbes to Kant).  I do not anticipate getting into Kant except in a cursory way, since there is a Kant class to handle that. We will instead focus on pre-Kantian thought, exploring the metaphysical and epistemological strategies that have garnered the period its historical reputation as the “modern” period. With this in mind we will explore the nature of rationalism and empiricism, trying to interrogate these categories, and will attempt to come to terms with the model(s) of “mind” that emerge in this period. The origins of a mechanistic world-view, along with the seeds of the undermining of that view, will be treated as we address the intersect of science and philosophy in this era.

Figures/texts to be studied:

• Hobbes (briefly)—Passages from Leviathan

• Galileo—brief excerpts of period documents

• Descartes—Discourse on Method, Meditations, parts of Principles

• Spinoza—Ethics

• Leibniz—Monadology

• Locke—portions of Essay Concerning Human Understanding

• Berkeley—Principles, Three Dialogues (parts)

• Hume—Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, parts of Treatise of Human Nature, Dialogues on Natural Religion (parts)

• Copleston, History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy

The course will require (subject to amendment) weekly two-page reflections geared to preparing for comprehensives, and a term paper. We will conduct ourselves as a seminar, with robust student participation and professorial openness to questions and comments.

Assignment for over Holiday Break:

Students should read Descartes Discourse on Method and Meditations prior to the beginning of the semester. It would also be a good idea to start into Spinoza’s Ethics, which is generally daunting first time round.