FOR 5/4 and 5/6-- Kant and the Copernician Revolution

• Readings: Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Preface and Introduction (634-646 in your book)

• Study Questions:
  1. How does Kant characterize the secured path of a science? Explain with the examples of Logics, Mathematics, and Physics.
  2. Why does Kant think that metaphysics has not entered the secured path of a science? What does he propose as a remedy? How is his proposal analogous to the revolutions that occurred in mathematics and physics?
  3. What will be the effect of Kant's revolution on the discipline of metaphysics? What will be the seemingly detrimental effects? What will be the positive effects?
  4. What does Kant mean by ``critical method"?
  5. What is the distinction between knowledge a priori and knowledge a posteriori? What is the distinction between analytic judgments and synthetic judgments? What are a priori synthetic judgments?
  6. What kind of metaphysics does Kant think is possible and legitimate? What kind of metaphysics does Kant think is not possible or legitimate?
• Text analysis:
  TEXT:

  Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Introduction, section I and II

  - Rachel, Carmen, Ellen, and Kelsey : POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. Describe the point the author intends to make
     b. Describe the argument that the author is using to establish the point (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Kant, The Copernican Revolution
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Kant, The Copernican Revolution .

FOR 4/29-- Hume, Induction, Causation, Skepticism

• Readings: Hume, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding sections 4-5 +12

• Study Questions:
  1. Explain Hume's argument that our expectation that the sun will rise tomorrow cannot be justified on any reasoning, either a priori, or a posteriori. If true, what are the consequences for our knowledge of the laws of nature?
  2. If not by reasoning, by which process do we come to believe that the sun will rise tomorrow according to Hume?
  3. According to Hume, by which process do we come to believe in matters of facts?
  4. Sections 4 and 5 contain the word "skeptical" in their titles. Why do you think Hume calls himself a skeptic? What are the different forms of skepticism that Hume distinguishes in Section 12? How does he characterize his own form of skepticism? How does it compare with the other ones?
• Text analysis:
  TEXT: Hume, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, section 7, part II, from ``But there still remains one method", p.520, col. 1, bottom paragraph to "but beyond these, we have no idea of it", p.521, col.2, top paragraph. I highly recommend reading Section 7 in its entirety.
  - Christina, Seamus, Jennifer, and Scott : POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. Describe the point the author intends to make
     b. Describe the argument that the author is using to establish the point (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Induction, Causation and Skepticism
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Hume, Induction, Causation and Skepticism .

FOR 4/27 -- PROSPECTUS DUE FOR OPTIONAL PAPER

FOR 4/27-- Hume, Introduction and Theory of Ideas

• Readings: Hume, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding sections 1-4

• Study Questions:
  1. What is the distinction between impressions and ideas according to Hume? Explain both terms and explain the difference with an example.
  2. What are the two arguments which Hume provides in support of his claim that ``all our ideas [...] are copies of our impressions"?
  3. Explain the thought experiment about the person who has never seen a particular shade of blue. What difficulties does this thought experiment raise for Hume's theory of ideas? How does he answer the objection? Do you find his answer satisfactory?
  4. In the last paragraph of Section II, Hume proposes a method to discard the philosophical terms which are meaningless. What is the method that he proposes? What do you think of it? According to Hume, why would applying such a method be beneficial for philosophy?
  5. What are the three principles of connexions between ideas according to Hume? Provide an example for each.
  6. What is the difference between matters of facts and relations of ideas according to Hume? Give examples of each. What principle does Hume take to be the base of all our reasonings concerning matter of facts?
• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Hume, Introduction and Theory of Ideas
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Hume, Introduction and Theory of Ideas .

FOR 4/22 -- EXAM ON LOCKE AND BERKELEY

FOR 4/20 -- No new reading -- We'll finish Berkeley, including the text analysis -- work on the study guide

FOR 4/13 and 4/15 -- Berkeley

• Readings: Berkeley, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous
  I understand this is long to read, but it is also easier due to the dialogue form.

• Study Questions:
  1. What does Berkeley think of the ``most extravagant opinion that ever entered the mind of man, to wit, that there is no such thing as material substance in the world" (p.415, col.2)? What are the fundamental constituents of the world, according to Berkeley?
  2. Explain how Berkeley argue that his philosophy does not lead to skepticism, while the philosophies of Locke and Descartes do.
  3. Which arguments does Berkeley provide in support of the thesis that secondary qualities do not exist in external bodies?
  4. What objection does Berkeley raise against the idea that primary qualities are really in external objects, whereas secondary qualities are only in our minds?
  5. What is Berkeley's argument against the notion of substance? Compare with Locke.
  6. What is Berkeley's argument for the existence of God?
  7. What is Berkeley's arguments against the existence of matter? Distinguish between various notions of matter and explain the argument associated to each notion.
  8. According to Berkeley, things exist only in so far as they are perceived. Does it mean that the moon does not exist when we do not look at it? Why or why not?
• Text Analysis: For Ben, Alex, Colin and Jessica
  TEXT: Berkeley, Principles of Human Knowledge, Introduction, paragraph 7-8 + 10 + 16 -- these span over pp. 464-468 in your book. Skip paragraphs 9 and 11-15 for the analysis (I would recommend reading them though!)
  - Ben, Alex, Colin and Jessica: POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. Describe the point the author intends to make
     b. Describe the argument that the author is using to establish the point (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Berkeley -- Immaterialism
• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Berkeley -- Idealism, Empiricism and Common Sense
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Berkeley -- Immaterialism.
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Berkeley -- Idealism, Empiricism and Common Sense .

FOR 4/6 and 4/8 -- Locke

• Readings: Locke, Essay concerning human understanding
  - Book I: chap 1 par 1-8, chap 2 par 1-5, and par 18-19
  - Book II: chap 1 par 1-8, chap 2, chap 8 par 8-23, chap 9 par 8, chap 23 par 1-4,
  And optional is Book 2 chap 27 (on personal identity, but I doubt we'll have time to discuss it)

• Study Questions:
  1. What are Locke's main aims in the \emph{Essay}?
  2. Why is it important to know the limits of our understanding?
  3. What does Locke mean by using a ``plain, historical method"?
  4. What are Locke's argument(s) against the thesis that humans possess human knowledge? Does Locke deny that there are propositions --such as the principle of contradiction and the principle of identity -- which appear evident to us?
  5. Explain how simple ideas and complex ideas are formed by the understanding. What are the tools that the mind possesses to construct ideas? Which are the kinds of actions that the mind can engage in in order to put simple ideas together?
  6. What is the difference between primary and secondary qualities?
  7. What is Locke's argument against our notion of substance?
• Text Analysis: For Christina, Alex, Scott and Zac
  TEXT: Essay concerning human understanding, Book II, Chap. XXIII, paragraph 1-4
  - Christina, Alex, Scott and Zac: POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. Describe the point the author intends to make
     b. Describe the argument that the author is using to establish the point (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Locke, Introduction and the criticisms of innateness
• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Locke -- Ideas and Qualities
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Locke, Introduction and the criticisms of innateness.
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Locke -- Ideas and Qualities.

THE REWRITE OF THE FIRST PAPER IS DUE IN CLASS ON MONDAY AFTER SPRINGBREAK (April 6th)

FOR 3/25 -- EXAM ON SPINOZA AND LEIBNIZ

FOR 3/16, 3/18 and 3/23 -- Leibniz -- Self-contained Individual Substances, Pre-established Harmony and Freedom

• Readings: Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics, paragraphs 8 to 15 + 30
• Study Questions:
  1. What is the ``nature of an individual substance" according to Leibniz? Explain with the example of Alexander The Great
  2. How do you understand Leibniz's claim that: ``every substance is a complete world and like a mirror of God or of the whole universe, which each one expresses in its own way"?
  3. Why does Leibniz think that we should not despise the scholastic notion of substantial form? For which domain of knowledge can such a notion be useful? Why?
  4. If each of us, being an individual substance, is a complete independent world, how come that we believe that we all live together in the same world according to Leibniz?
  5. If each individual substance is a complete independent world, in what sense can we say that substances interact with one another within Leibniz' metaphysics? What is it really for a substance to act or to be acted upon by another substance?
  6. How does Leibniz argue that we are free, even if we are self-contained substances?
  7. How does Leibniz argue that we are responsible for our actions, even if it is God who decided to create us as we are in the first place?
  8. How does Leibniz explain the appearance of evil in the best possible world?
• Text Analysis: For Garrett (Graves) and Dylan (Smith)
  TEXT: Discourse on Metaphysics , paragraph 30, from the beginning (top of p. 202) to ``without seeking a detail which involves infinite considerations" (p.202, col 2, bottom)
  - Garrett and Dylan: POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. Describe the point the author intends to make
     b. Describe the argument that the author is using to establish the point (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Leibniz -- Self-contained Individual Substances, Pre-established Harmony
• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Leibniz -- Freedom and Responsibility
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Leibniz -- Self-contained Individual Substances, Pre-established Harmony.
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Leibniz -- Freedom and Responsibility.

FOR 3/11 -- Leibniz -- Rationalism, God and Theodicy

• Readings: Leibniz, Monadology, paragraphs 25 to 46 (pp. 237-239) + Discourse on Metaphysics, paragraphs 1 to 7 (pp. 184-188 )
• Study Questions:
  1. What kind of thinking do humans share with animals? What kind of thinking and knowledge does distinguish humans from animals?
  2. What are the characteristics of ``eternal truths" according to Leibniz?
  3. Explain the difference between truths of reasoning and truths of facts. How do they relate to the principle of contradiction and the principle of sufficient reason?
  4. What are Leibniz' arguments for the existence of God? Compare with Descartes and Spinoza.
  5. How does the nature of God imply that we must mot only accept but also be entirely satisfied by his Creation, according to Leibniz??
  6. How does Leibniz explain appearances of disorder and evil within God's most perfect creation?
• Text Analysis: For Efrem (Carlim) and Andrew (Quinn)
  TEXT: Preface to the New Essays Concerning Human Understanding, From ``Our differences" (p.375, col. 1, top) to ``distinguishes humans from beasts" (p.376, col. 1, bottom) -- I recommend to read the Preface from the beginning in order to understand the context of the passage to analyze.
  - Efrem and Andrew: POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. Describe the point the author intends to make
     b. Describe the argument that the author is using to establish the point (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Leibniz, Rationalism, God and Theodicy
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class before noon): Leibniz, Rationalism, God and Theodicy.

FOR 3/9 -- Spinoza -- Human Beings, Knowledge and the Philosophy of Joy

No new reading: we'll finish Spinoza

FOR 3/4 -- Spinoza -- Human Beings, Knowledge and the Philosophy of Joy

• Readings: Spinoza, Ethics, Book II (pp. 149-172) (you can skim the proofs) + Book III, Prop 2 and Scholium which you can find here (you'll need to scroll down quite a bit to find the text after all the warnings (It is not in your book)
• Study Questions:
  1. How does Spinoza conceive of the relationships between thought and extension? How does it compare to Descartes? (pay close attention to Prop 7 Scholium)
  2. How do you understand the 7th proposition: ``The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things"?
  3. What are the relationships between the human body and the human mind according to Spinoza? How does it compare with Descartes? (look at II, Prop 10-13 and III, Prop 2 Scholium)
  4. What does our imagination consists in for Spinoza? How does it compare with Descartes? (Look at II, Prop 17 sq.)
  5. What are the kinds of knowledge according to Spinoza? Which one is the source of error? (pay close attention to Prop 40, Scholium 2)
• Text Analysis: For James (Curtis) and Andrew (Greiner)
  TEXT: excerpt from Book III, Scholium of Prop. 2
  - James and Andrew: POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON BLACKBOARD ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. What is the main point of the passage?
     b. What are the arguments for it? (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Spinoza, Human Beings, Knowledge and the Philosophy of Joy
• Powerpoint (will be available on the day of class around 8 am): Spinoza, Human Beings, Knowledge and the Philosophy of Joy.

FOR 3/2 -- Spinoza -- Basics of its metaphysics

• Readings: Spinoza, Editor's introduction p. 97-99 + Ethics, Book I (pp. 129-149)
• Study Questions:
  1. What is the ``geometrical order" that Spinoza follows in his \emph{Ethics}? Why do you think he uses this method? What is the difference with the presentation of the \emph{Meditations}?
  2. How do you understand the relationships between substances, modes and attributes? Give an example to illustrate.
  3. What are the characteristics of Spinoza's notion of substance?
  4. Spinoza gives four proofs of God's existence. Describe them briefly. How do they compare with Descartes'?
  5. How does Spinoza show that there is only one substance?
  6. How do you understand Spinoza's claim that ``whatever is, is in God" (Prop. 15, my emphasis)?
  7. How can Spinoza maintain together that (1) Everything that exists necessarily follows from God's nature; and (2) God is a free cause of everything?
  8. Note in passing the passages in which Spinoza refers to, and criticizes Descartes' view (without naming him).
• Discussion questions: What kind of God is the Spinoza's God? Do you think an atheist could endorse Spinoza's metaphysics?
• Course Notes (will be available on Monday around 8 am): Spinoza, Introduction and the Basics of his Metaphysics
• Powerpoint (will be available on Monday around 8 am): Spinoza, Introduction and the Basics of his Metaphysics.

FOR 2/25 -- EXAM ON DESCARTES -- The study guide is here and on the exam page

• The Cartesian Doubt.
• Certainty: Self and God .
• God and Error.
• Rational truths, God and The Cartesian Circle .
• The material world .

FOR 2/23 -- The Material World

• Readings: Descartes, Meditations, Meditation 6
• Study Questions:
  1. What is the main aim of the 6th meditation?
  2. How does the fact that we have a faculty of imagination indicate that our body exists?
  3. What is Descartes' argument for his claim that the body is distinct from the mind? How do my body and my mind relate to each other according to Descartes? Do you find Descartes convincing on this point? Why / Why not?
  4. Descartes seems to tell us that we are ``taught by nature" that external bodies exist. In the first Meditation, however, Descartes had rejected the ``teaching of nature" as reliable? What were his reasons for rejecting them? Why does he think he can discard these reasons now?
• Course Notes (will be available around 8 am on the day of class): The material world (Chapter 4.7) .

FOR 2/18 -- Error, Rational truths, and God again

We'll try to get two things done:

1. Discuss Med. 4 and Descartes' theory of error
2. Discuss Med. 5, insisting mostly on Descartes' theory of ideas, much less on the argument for the existence of God (the ontological argument)

• Readings: Meditation 4 (re-read) and Meditation 5.
• Study questions on Med. 5: the same as last time + I add one reflexion question:

  Where do you think our knowledge of mathematical notions and mathematical truths come from ? The following quotes from Descartes should help you start your reflexion:

  ``... it seems that though I am noticing things for the first time that were in fact in me for a long while, although I had not previously directed a mental gaze upon them"
  ``It is irrelevant to say that perhaps the idea of a triangle came to me from external things through the sense organs because of course I have on occasion seen triangle-shaped bodies."

• Text analysis -- For Oliver (Huang) and Michael (Heath)
  TEXT: p. 45 from ``Yet, before inquiring whether any such things exist outside me" to ``pure and abstract mathematics to be the most certain of all" -
  - Oliver and Michael: POST YOUR ANALYSIS ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) on SUNDAY NIGHT at the latest (that is, before Monday at 8 am)
  - All the other students: POST YOUR ANSWERS ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. What is the main point of the passage?
     b. What are the arguments for it? (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might be of the following types:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!

• Course Notes: Rational Truths, God, and the Cartesian Circle (Chapter 4.6) .

FOR 2/16 -- No class -- President's day

FOR 2/11 -- Certainty: God and Error

• Readings: Descartes, Meditations, Meditation 4 and 5
• Study Questions:
  • On Med. 4:
    1. What is the cause of our errors according to Descartes?
    2. How does Descartes reconcile the two ideas that 1. we can make mistakes and 2. God is not a deceiver.
    3. What is the sure method for finding the truth according to Descartes?
  • On Med. 5:
    1. How does Descartes restore the truth of mathematical notions?
    2. Reconstruct Descartes' proof of the existence of God.
• Reflexion Questions:
  1. What do you think of Descartes' claims that ``the indifference that I experience when there is no reason moving me more in one direction than in another is the lowest grade of freedom"?
  2. To which other arguments for the existence of God does Descartes' make you think? Do you find this kind of argument convincing? Why? Why not?
• Text analysis -- Bradford (Fruechte) and James (Murnion): pp. 42-43, from ``Next, as I focus more closely on myself" to ``and in this way I am deceived and I sin." -- TO POST ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) ON THE DAY BEFORE CLASS BEFORE 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. What is the main point of the passage?
     b. What are the arguments for it? (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!
     All the other students of the class must read and comment on the text analyses.
• Course Notes: Error (Chapter 4.5). We'll keep Med. 5 for next week.

FOR 2/9 -- Certainty: the self and God

• Readings: Descartes, Meditations, Meditation 2 and 3
• Study Questions:
  • On Med. 2:
    1. What are the main aims of this Meditation?
    2. Explain how, according to Descartes, the proposition "I think I exist" resists the argument of the evil genius
    3. Explain how Descartes is lead to the conclusion that he is ``a thing which thinks".
    4. Descartes spends some time discussing the nature of a piece of wax. Why does he do that? In other words, what is the role of this discussion in the overall argument of the Second Meditation? In order to answer to this question, you may want to find out first what is the conclusion that Descartes draws from the discussion of the piece of wax; and then see how the discussion can be logically related to this conclusion.
  • On Med 3:
    1. What is the ``general rule" for finding the truth that Descartes accept? how does he argue for the validity of the rule?
    2. Why does Descartes need to prove the existence of God?
    3. Descartes spends a lot of time discussing the various of ideas we have? What is the point of this discussion? That is to say, how is he going to use the results of this discussion?
    4. What is Descartes' main argument for the existence of God? (try to reconstruct the structure of it)
    5. Do you think Descartes' argument for the existence of God is valid? Do you think it is sound?
• Reflexion Questions:
  1. Do you find Descartes inference from `I think I exist" to `I am a thing which think" convincing? Why? Why not?
  2. Do you think that Descartes has shown that we know our mind better than we know external bodies? Why? Why not?
  3. To what other arguments does Descartes `proof' of the existence of God make you think? Do you find this kind of argument convincing? Why? Why not?
• Course Notes: Self, Certainty, God (Chapter 4.3-4).

FOR 2/4 -- The Cartesian Doubt

• Readings: Descartes, Meditations, Preamble and Meditation 1
• Study Questions:
  1. What are Descartes' main aims in the Meditations?
  2. Explain how Descartes justifies that he rejects as false ``all the opinions which [he] had formerly accepted'' (my emphasis) even if he does not know for sure that these opinions are all false.
  3. To what aim does Descartes decide to reject all his beliefs as false?
  4. Reconstruct the argument about dreaming: which kind of knowledge does it allow Descartes to put into doubt?
  5. Why does Descartes need to appeal to the hypothesis of an evil genius to reject all his opinions and judgment as doubtful?
• Reflexion questions:
  1. Do you think it is a proper method to destroy the entire edifice of knowledge to build it anew just because not every thing is certain?
  2. Do you think it is a reasonable method to reject as false every propositions in which you have a slightest doubt? Why?
• Text analysis -- Barnby, Kari L. and Zilch, Anthony M.: pp. 28-29, from ``Let us assume then" to ``if I wish to find anything certain." -- TO POST ON BLACKBOARD (plus to send to me as an email attachment) BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE CLASS AT 5pm.
  1. Give an analysis of the passage:
     a. What is the main point of the passage?
     b. What are the arguments for it? (give an outline)

  2. Formulate 3 questions for further discussion about the passage -- The questions might:
     a. Clarification request: if you think the author is not clear on one claim he makes: justify your request and propose different ways in which this claim could be interpreted
     b. Argument request: if you think the text contains an unsupported claim: justify your request and propose a way (or a direction) for a possible argument.
     c. Objection: if you think that one of the author's claim is false: give an argument for this!
     All the other students of the class must read and comment on the text analyses given by Kari and Anthony.
• Course Notes: The Cartesian Doubt (Chapter 4.1-2).

FOR 2/2 -- Philosophy and Arguments -- TEST 1 (On the introduction and arguments)

FOR 01/28 -- Philosophy and Arguments:

• Readings: Chapter below
• Homework: Do the exercises
• Course Notes: Philosophy and Arguments (Chapter 3).

FOR 01/26 -- Presentation of the course and Introduction:

• Syllabus (Chapter 1);
• Introduction (Chapter 2).