| Room: CSB 002 | Prof. Eric Watkins |
| Times: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:00-12:50 | Office: H&SS 8018 |
| Term: Winter Quarter 2007 | Office tel: 822-0082 |
| Office Hours: Wednesday 2-4 & by appointment | E-mail: ewatkins@ucsd.edu |
| http://philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu/faculty/ewatkins/Phil32W07/Phil32W07.html |
This course aims to provide a general understanding of what is
novel about modern philosophy, how it breaks with many of the
assumptions of ancient and medieval philosophy, and how it constitutes
a way of thinking that is both attractive to and attacked by many
today, thus forming the context for what we currently think. More
specifically, we will be engaged in a careful study of groundbreaking
works by several of the most important philosophers of the 17th
century: Rene Descartes, Nicolas Malebranche, Benedict Spinoza, G.W.
Leibniz, and John Locke.
I. Reading Assignments (subject to adjustment)
| Monday 1-8 | Introduction | ||
| Wednesday 1-10 | Bacon (pp. 4-7), Galileo (pp. 8-11), and Boyle (pp. 262-269) | ||
| Friday 1-12 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Letter of Ded., Synopsis, and Meditation I (22-30) | You-Tube video | Possible Quiz #1 |
| Mon. 1-15 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day--No Class | ||
| Wed. 1-17 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation II (30-34) | Possible Quiz #2 | |
| Fri. 1-19 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation III (34-36) | ||
| Mon. 1-22 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation III (36-41) | Possible Quiz #3 | |
| Wed. 1-24 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation III, cont. | ||
| Fri. 1-26 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation IV (41-45) | Possible Quiz #4 | |
| Mon. 1-29 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation V (45-48) | Possible Quiz #5 | |
| Wed. 1-31 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation VI (48-55) | Impossible Quiz #6 | |
| Fri. 2-2 | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation VI, cont. | ||
| Review Sheet | |||
| Mon. 2-5 | Midterm Exam | ||
| Wed. 2-7 | Malebranche, The Search after Truth, Book 6, Part 2, Ch. 3 & Eluc. (401-412) | ||
| Fri. 2-9 | Malebranche, The Search after Truth, Book 3, Part 2, Chs. 1-4, 6-7 (389-401) | ||
| Mon. 2-12 | class canceled (illness) | ||
| Wed. 2-14 | Malebranche, The Search after Truth, cont. | ||
| Fri. 2-16 | Spinoza, Ethics, Part I, beg. through Prop. 15 (129-136) | ||
| Mon. 2-19 | President's Day--No Class | ||
| Wed. 2-21 | Spinoza, Ethics, Part I, Prop. 16-Appendix (137-149) | ||
| Fri. 2-23 | Spinoza, Ethics, Part II (149-172) | ||
| Mon. 2-26 | Leibniz, New System of Nature (229-234) | ||
| Wed. 2-28 | Leibniz, Primary Truths (225-228) | ||
| Fri. 3-2 | Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics (184-207) | Paper Topic | |
| Mon. 3-5 | Leibniz, Monadology (235-243) | ||
| Wed. 3-7 | Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book I (270-276) | ||
| Fri. 3-9 | Locke, Essay Conc. Human Understanding, Book II Chs. 1-8 (276-290) | ||
| Mon. 3-12 | Locke, Essay Conc. Human Understanding, Book II Chs. 12 & 23 (293-295, 313-320) | Paper Due | |
| Wed. 3-14 | Locke, Essay Conc. Human Understanding, Book IV Chs. 1-3 (339-355) | ||
| Fri. 3-16 | Conclusion | ||
| Review Sheet | |||
| Wed. 3-21 | Final Exam, 11:30-2:30 | ||
II. Requirements:
Two Quizzes
There will be two quizzes during the first four weeks of class. Together, they will be worth 15% of the final grade. Several possible quizzes will be posted on the course web-page (above) that students can download, fill out in advance, bring to class, and turn in, should a quiz be given on that day. Otherwise, one can take the quiz in class. There is no possibility to make-up a quiz unless a valid excuse is presented. Quizzes cannot be sent via e-mail.
One Paper
Students must write one medium length paper (5-6 pages). The paper topic will be posted on the course web-page (above). The paper is worth 25% of the final grade. A hard copy must be turned in at the beginning of the class when it is due. Every student must also submit a copy to http://www.turnitin.com. Instructions for turnitin.com will be given along with the paper topic.
Midterm Exam
The midterm exam is worth 25% of the final grade.
Final Exam
The final exam is worth 35% of the final grade. It will be cumulative, but will emphasize content from the second half of the course and how it relates to what was discussed earlier.
Participation
I expect students to have read the material in advance and to be prepared to discuss it in class.
Late Paper/Make-up Exam Policy
Papers turned in late will be penalized one +/- grade per day, unless evidence is presented of a valid excuse in a timely manner (e.g., a note from the doctor, the dean or atheletic department, etc.). Similarly, a make-up examination will be arranged only if evidence of a valid excuse is presented in a timely manner. If a student misses an examination without a valid excuse, the student will receive a grade of F for that exam.
III. Required Text:
Ariew, Roger and Watkins, Eric, Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary Texts (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1998).
The text is available in the UCSD bookstore. All readings listed on the syllabus will be from this anthology.
IV. TA Information
TA: Dan Schwartz
Office Hours: Tuesday 11-12
Office Location: 8073
E-mail: d1schwar@ucsd.edu
There are two discussion sections each week for this course, the one on Monday 3:00-3:50 in CSB 005, the other on Friday 9:00-9:50 in CSB 004. Attendance at one of these is highly recommended. I encourage you to discuss any questions you may have about the material with the TA during these sections. (The first section will be held on Friday, January 12.)
Grader: Kristen Irwin
Office Hours: by appt. and by announcement
Office Location: H&SS 8085
E-mail: kirwin@ucsd.edu
If, after discussing your grade with the Grader, you feel that it is still not fair, you may request that I grade it, independently of the grade it was originally given. The grade I give (whether higher or lower than the original grade) is then final.
V. Other Information
1. Honor Code. The Academic Honor Code must be observed in this course.
Additionally, students agree that by taking this course all required papers will be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the terms of use agreement posted on the Turnitin.com site.
2. If accommodations are needed for a disability or religious reasons, please notify me during the first class period or as soon as possible.