Instructor:
Dr. Daniel Skubik, PhD JD MDiv
Voice: 951.343.4288 / Fax: 951.343.4520
Web: http://www.calbaptist.edu/dskubik
E-Mail: dskubik@calbaptist.edu
History of
Western Philosophy II
HIS/PHI 302
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:00 AM – 12:20PM
California Baptist
University
Spring Semester, 2005
This course is the second
segment of a two-semester sequence serving as an advanced introduction to the
rich history of persons, texts and ideas in the Western philosophic tradition.
While that tradition is predominately analytic in nature, and since the 18th
century largely Anglo-American, in character, we shall nonetheless also explore
some Continental works that treat of broader metaphysical issues along with the
usual epistemological and axiological concerns more familiar to those in the
English-speaking world.
The traditional division in
a two-semester sequence is for the first course to cover ancient (Plato &
Aristotle) through medieval (Aquinas & Ockham) periods, while the second
course is devoted to the modern period (Descartes—the putative father of modern
philosophy—to near contemporary figures of note such as Wittgenstein and
Quine). We shall follow that traditional division here, and so begin our
studies with Descartes, using the same principal text edited by Baird &
Kaufmann utilized during the first semester.
While our principal text
comprises a collection of extracts from selected philosophers, with brief
introductions to their lives and times, it should be emphasized that the study
of texts and ideas in context requires a sensitivity to the broader
intellectual milieu these philosopher are engaging. Hence, a primary focus of
our studies will be constructing an intellectual history for these figures and
tracing any significant history of ideas, rather than simply assuming any
writer’s work can be understood from its face, analyzing ideas and terms as we
would assume their force and content today.
The course is open to all
students able and willing to engage in upper division study, and can be used to
fulfill history major or minor upper division unit requirements, Philosophy
major or minor upper division requirements, or general education requirements.
Required Text
Forrestt Baird & Walter
Kaufmann, From Plato to Derrida 4th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2003)
This text is readily
available, new & used, from web shops such as Amazon.com, or Barnes
& Noble, as well as the CBU bookshop.
Other books, like those noted below, and websites may be referenced throughout the term, contents of which all students also will be responsible.
Suggested
supplemental titles of interest
Frederick Copleston,
S.J., A History of Philosophy
9 vols. [available in a variety of formats]
Dictionary of Literary
Biography [with volumes devoted to philosophers by date]
Readings & Assignments Schedule
|
Week #1 |
Introduction to course |
|
Week #2 |
Descartes, Meditations, 405-442 |
|
Week #3 |
Descartes, Meditations, 405-442 |
|
Week #4 |
Hobbes, Leviathan, 447-488 |
|
Week #5 |
Hobbes, Leviathan, 447-488 |
|
Week #6 |
Spinoza, Ethics, 498-551 |
|
Week #7 |
Spinoza, Ethics, 498-551 |
|
Week #8 |
Locke, Essay Concerning Human
Understanding, 552-608 |
|
Week #9 |
Berkeley, Three Dialogues, 649-710 |
|
Week #10 |
Berkeley, Three Dialogues, 649-710 |
|
Week #11 |
Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human
Understanding, 711-790 |
|
Week # 12 |
Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human
Understanding, 711-790 |
|
Week #13 |
Kant, Foundation for the Metaphysics of
Morals, 803-806 & 879-921 |
|
Week #14 |
Kant, Foundation for the Metaphysics of
Morals, 803-806 & 879-921 |
|
Week #15 |
Wittgenstein, Tractatus &
Investigations, 1121-1149 |
|
Week #16 |
Final Exam period: scheduled per
University catalog, 8:00 – 10:00AM |
Caveat
This syllabus schedule is
composed in good faith, with a schedule of readings and assignments that will
guide us throughout the term. Still, the instructor reserves the right to make
adjustments to this schedule as deemed necessary for the overall enterprise of
the course. Any changes will be communicated as far in advance as feasible, and
you are responsible for knowing if and when any changes have been made.
Assessment & Grading Scale
|
Review Papers = 80% (4 x 20%) |
90 - 100 = A range |
|
Final Oral Exam = 10% |
80 - 89 = B range |
|
Participation = 10% |
70 - 79 = C range |
|
|
60 - 69 = D range |
|
|
0 - 59 = F |
Review Papers
Each student will write four
(4) review papers during the semester, each paper being worth 20% toward the
final grade for the course. The papers should be ~2000 words in length (longer
is fine; shorter will be too short to meet requirements), and composed in the
following manner: section 1 for personal and intellectual biography of the philosopher
chosen; section 2 for historical and intellectual positioning of that figure’s
corpus; and section 3 for interpretive analyses of the figure’s key work(s)
that clearly takes our discussions into account. In short, this is first and
foremost an essay grounded in intellectual history. Papers will then be
submitted through Turnitin.com for my review and marking. [The Turnitin Account
ID for this course is 1232570 and the join password is *****. Students are
strongly encouraged to take the Turnitin tutorial before creating an account
and submitting a paper for this class. Go to http://www.turnitin.com
for details.] Early submissions are encouraged but not required.
We are dealing altogether
with ten (10) philosophers this term, and the papers are subdivided accordingly
across four pairs. Your first paper must be on Descartes or Hobbes; your second
paper on Spinoza or Locke; your third paper on Berkeley or Hume; and your
fourth paper on Kant or Mill. See the syllabus for respective due dates, and
choose accordingly. Due dates are otherwise not flexible, and will be strictly
enforced. N.B. You cannot mix and match your choices (e.g. Descartes and
Hobbes cannot be papers one and two; Spinoza cannot be your first with Locke as
your second, and so forth).
Extra credit for any single
assignment can be earned by providing an annotated bibliography of the chosen
philosopher’s major works. See me for details before you attempt these
annotations, as the requirements differ with each philosopher. You cannot earn
this extra credit after the paper is due; the annotations must be submitted
with the original paper by its due date.
Final Oral Examination
An oral examination will be
conducted during the final examination period, worth 10% of the final course
grade and covering our final readings about/by Wittgenstein and Quine. You may
form groups of 2 or 3 for this exam, or elect to respond individually. But once
you designate a mode for answering questions, there is no alteration permitted.
If you are part of a group, all will share the same mark for this 10%.
Participation
Although speaking in class, publicly putting and
defending a position or interpretation, can be daunting, you are strongly
encouraged to learn to think through your own and others’ experiences and
insights within the context of our discussions. In this context, you are not
being evaluated for reaching “right” conclusions, but for demonstrating your
facility in forming arguments for any conclusions put, given the material we
will cover in class.
To give direct incentive to
so engage, 10% of your mark for the course will be comprised of my assessment
of your classroom participation during the semester. Participation is to
include in-class discussions during the semester, and does not include
attendance.
Because of the nature of the course and its content, attendance is expected, with a simple threshold requirement: we have 29 scheduled class sessions, and you are required to attend at least 22 class sessions (~75%). Should you miss more than 7 class sessions, you must speak with me before you will be permitted to complete the course. Should you miss 11 class sessions (~40%), you will not be permitted to complete the course.