PHIL 252 -- Introduction to Modern Philosophy -- Spring 2010

ASSIGNMENTS AND COURSE NOTES

Week 1 -- 01/25-29 -- Presentation of the course, Introduction, and Arguments

• Assignment and Course Notes:
  • Syllabus will be available on Friday the week before class
  • Introduction will be available on Friday the week before class
  • Arguments will be available on Friday the week before class
• Powerpoint: Arguments will be available the day before class

Week 2 -- 2/2-5 -- Descartes, Meditation 1 and 2

• Homework:
  1. Read Descartes, Meditations Letter of Dedication, Preface to the reader, Synopsis and Meditations 1 and 2 (pp. 22-34),
  2. Read Chapter 4, Sections 1-3 of the course notes (downloadable below),
  3. Answer the study questions that are in the course notes (there are questions for each section). Your answers are due on Monday.
  4. The text analysis (explanations p. 51 of the course notes) is due on Friday. The text analysis is pp. 28-29 in the first edition of the book, but pp. 41-42 in the second edition.
• Course Notes: Chapter 4, started will be available on Friday the week before class

Week 3 -- 2/8-12 -- Descartes, Meditation 3 and 4

• Homework:
  1. Read Descartes, Meditations 3 and 4 (pp. 22-34(first edition)/47-58(second eddition),
  2. Read Chapter 4, Sections 4-5 of the course notes (downloadable below),
  3. Answer the study questions that are in the course notes (there are questions for each section). Your answers are due on Monday.
  4. No text analysis this week
• Course Notes: Chapter 4, continued will be available on Friday the week before class

Week 4 -- 2/15-19 -- Descartes, Meditation 5

No class on Monday

• Homework:
  1. Read Descartes, Meditations 5 (pp. 45-48 (first edition)/ 58-61 (second edition),
  2. Read Chapter 4, Section 6 the course notes (downloadable below),
  3. Answer the study questions that are in the course notes. Your answers are due on Wednesday.
  4. Text analysis due on Friday: instructions p.93 of the course notes
• Course Notes: Chapter 4, continued will be available on Friday the week before class

Week 5 -- 2/22-26 -- Descartes, Meditation 6

• Homework:
  1. Read Descartes, Meditations 6 (pp. 48-55 (first edition)/ 61-68 (second edition),
  2. Read Chapter 4, Section 7 the course notes (downloadable below),
  3. Answer the study questions that are in the course notes. Your answers are due on Wednesday.
  4. No text analysis this week
• Course Notes: Chapter 4, finished will be available on Friday the week before class

Week 6 -- 3/1-5 -- Spinoza

• Homework:
  1. Read Spinoza (see course notes p. 127-128), the course notes, answer the study questions (due on Monday)
  2. Course notes: Chapter 5 will be available on Friday the week before class
  3. Text analysis: instruction in the course notes, Text downloadable here

Week 7 -- 3/8-12 -- Leibniz

• Homework:
  1. Read Leibniz (see course notes), the course notes, answer the study questions (due on Monday). Be careful, there are several sets of study questions.
  2. Course notes: Chapter 6 will be available on Friday the week before class
  3. No text analysis -- start working for your exam!

Week 8 -- 3/15-19 -- Exam Week

• SUNDAY, 3/14, LA 106, 2-4pm, REVIEW SESSION
• MONDAY, MARCH 15th, Regular times, Regular Place: MIDTERM EXAM
• Wednesday, 3/17: We'll discuss the text analysis on Spinoza
• THURSDAY, 3/17: ESSAY DUE IN MY MAILBOX BY 2 pm
• Friday 3/19: We'll correct the exam

Week 9 -- 3/22-26 -- Locke

• Monday: Homework (Readings and Study Questions) on Book I due (p.187 of the course notes)
• Wednesday: Homework (Readings and Study Questions) on Book II due (p.198 of the course notes)
• Friday: text analysis due (p. 207 of the course notes)
• Course notes: Chapter 7

Week 10 -- 3/29-4/3 -- SPRING BREAK

Week 11 -- 4/5-9 -- Berkeley

IMPORTANT CHANGE IN SYLLABUS: see announcement on Blackboard

• Homework:
  1. Read Berkeley (see course notes), the course notes, answer the study questions (due on Monday). There is only one set of study questions.
  2. Course notes: Chapter 8
  3. No text analysis this week

Week 12 -- 4/12-16 -- Hume

IMPORTANT CHANGE IN SYLLABUS: see announcement on Blackboard

• Homework:
  1. Read Hume -- Enquiries, section I to V, the course notes, answer the study questions only #1 to 7 (due on Monday) -- Questions 8 and 9 will be due for next week
  2. Course notes: Chapter 9, started
  3. NO CLASS ON FRIDAY due to the Undergraduate Research Conference
  4. No text analysis this week

Week 13 -- 4/19-23 -- Hume

• Homework:
  1. Read Hume -- Enquiries, section VII and XII, the course notes, answer the study questions # 8 and 9 (the questions are at the beginning of the chapter, in the notes from last week)
  2. Course notes: Chapter 9, finished
  3. Text Analysis due on Friday: Hume on Abtract Ideas Text downloadable here

Week 14 -- 4/26-30-23 -- Kant

• Homework:
  1. Read Kant, the course notes, answer the study questions DUE ON MONDAY
  2. Course notes: Chapter 10, started
  3. Friday: ESSAY DUE IN CLASS Topic downloadable here + Text Analysis: We'll work on it together in class

Week 15 -- 5/3-73 -- Kant

• Homework:
  1. Read Kant, the course notes, answer the study questions DUE ON MONDAY
  2. Course notes: Chapter 10, finished
  3. No text analysis this week

Review Session: 5/12 12:00-1:00 pm, LA 336

Final Exam: 5/13 3:20-5:20 pm, regular classroom