PHIL 357: Topics in the History of Philosophy: Early Modern Philosophy
Spring Semester 2014 | Day | Burnaby
INSTRUCTOR: Dai Heide, WMX 5655 (dheide@sfu.ca)
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Kant, Critique of Pure Reason. Edited by Paul Guyer and Allen Wood. Cambridge. ISBN: 978-0521657297
- Leibniz, Philosophical Essays. Edited by Roger Ariew and Daniel Garber. Hackett. ISBN: 978-0872200623
- Watkins, Eric. Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason: Background Source Materials. Cambridge. ISBN: 978-0521787017
- Other readings will be made available to students online or on reserve.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The mainstream philosophical study of German philosophy in the early modern period has typically recognized only two figures of real significance: Leibniz and Kant. But any story of the period that includes only Leibniz and Kant is bound to be oversimplified and impoverished: the 18th century in the German-speaking philosophical world was among the richest, most productive and most exciting periods of philosophical development in the history of philosophy, and not least because it involved prodigious interaction among many philosophers during a period of rapid scientific, religious and cultural change and conflict. The conflict between religious doctrine and Enlightenment scientific advancement is perhaps nowhere more evident than in these philosophers’ preoccupation with developing a cosmology that regards human beings as autonomous and free while at the same time accounting for the increasingly accepted view that the natural world is strictly deterministic and lacking any contingency whatsoever. This is no easy task, and the development of this position in a variety of forms through the 17th century German-speaking philosophical world shall be our guiding thread in this course.
Our ultimate aim shall be to trace the development of German rationalist views on human freedom from Leibniz to Kant while paying significant attention to the underappreciated tradition in German philosophy that was Leibniz’s legacy and Kant’s philosophical upbringing. We shall begin with some key works by Leibniz, and then proceed to read excerpts from works by Wolff (who was Leibniz’s student and proponent, and who was exiled from Halle for his commitment to determinism), Knutzen (who was Kant’s teacher), Baumgarten (whose metaphysics textbook Kant used in his courses for many years), Crusius (perhaps the biggest influence on Kant), and others. Toward the end of the course, we shall read selections of Kant’s writings from across his career, including excerpts from his New Elucidations, his lectures on metaphysics and especially the Critique of Pure Reason. In reading these systematic works, we shall necessarily stray from our focus on human freedom – these were systematic philosophers who regarded no philosophical problem in isolation. Other topics shall include: a priori knowledge, the principle of sufficient reason, necessity and contingency, the nature of substance, the unity of the world, causation, truth, the nature of space and time, and (especially) idealism.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- Two medium-length papers (1100 – 1500 words - 25% each
- One final paper (2200 words minimum) - 50%
Prerequisites: One of PHIL 100W, 150 or 151.