Course Overview
This course is a survey of the
European philosophical
tradition from Descartes through Kant, examining issues such as the
nature,
sources, and extent of human knowledge, the composition of the physical
world,
the nature of the human mind and its relation to the physical world,
the
possibility of a rational understanding of God and the self, and the
nature of
human freedom.
Required Prerequisite: Introduction to Philosophy or permission of instructor. Helpful Prerequisites: High School Geometry, Logic, Conceptual Physics or General Physics I.
Course Texts
Reconstruction of Descartes' Main Theses [PDF]
Selective Reconstruction of Spinoza's Ethics, Part 1 [PDF]
George MacDonald Ross' translations of texts from early modern philosophy
Reading Guide for Modern Philosophy, courtesy of University College London
Required Prerequisite: Introduction to Philosophy or permission of instructor. Helpful Prerequisites: High School Geometry, Logic, Conceptual Physics or General Physics I.
Course Texts
Descartes, Discourse on Method, trans. Donald Cress
(Hackett)
Spinoza, Ethics, trans. Samuel Shirley (Hackett)
Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, ed. Kenneth Winkler (Hackett)
Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics and Other Essays, trans. Daniel Garber and Roger Ariew (Hackett)
Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (2nd ed.), ed. Eric Steinberg (Hackett)
Kant, Prolegomena To Any Future Metaphysics and (2nd ed.), trans. James Ellington (Hackett)Letter to Marcus Herz
Spinoza, Ethics, trans. Samuel Shirley (Hackett)
Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, ed. Kenneth Winkler (Hackett)
Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics and Other Essays, trans. Daniel Garber and Roger Ariew (Hackett)
Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (2nd ed.), ed. Eric Steinberg (Hackett)
Kant, Prolegomena To Any Future Metaphysics and (2nd ed.), trans. James Ellington (Hackett)Letter to Marcus Herz
Optional: Kant,
Critique of Pure Reason (abridged),
trans. Werner Pluhar (Hackett)
Handouts
Reconstruction of Descartes' Main Theses [PDF]
Selective Reconstruction of Spinoza's Ethics, Part 1 [PDF]
Links
Jonathan Bennet's modified versions of texts from early modern philosophyGeorge MacDonald Ross' translations of texts from early modern philosophy
Reading Guide for Modern Philosophy, courtesy of University College London
Contact
332B
Morton Hall
Department of Philosophy
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
301 Sparkman Drive
Huntsville, AL 35899
Office: 256.824.2338
Fax: 256.824.2387
Email: Nick[dot]Jones[at]uah[dot]edu
Department of Philosophy
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
301 Sparkman Drive
Huntsville, AL 35899
Office: 256.824.2338
Fax: 256.824.2387
Email: Nick[dot]Jones[at]uah[dot]edu