Phil 210 Autumn 2009
History of Philosophy: Descartes and Locke John Dreher
1. (a) Buy Descartes’:
- Discourse on Method AND Meditations (trans. Lafleur) LLA
b) I will give you copies of the Bouwsma, Jones, Yolton, and Mackie items.
(c) Also available to you (in Mudd) are The Encyclopedia of Philosophy (ed. P. Edwards) with entries such as "substance," "idea," "Descartes," "Locke," et cetera, and Philosopher’s Index, a guide to philosophical journal essays and book reviews. You’ll hear more about each in class.
2. Write three sets of essays:
You will write an in-class (open books and open notes) exam on 28 Sept. (Note that this is our SEVENTH class meeting!) This exam will provide 20% of your course grade.
Take home essays (800 to 1,200 words in total) are due in my Main Hall 107 mailbox by 3:10 p.m., 21 Oct. You will get written instructions for those essays on 16 Oct. Those essays will provide 40% of your course grade.
Your (open books and open notes) final exams take place Monday, 23 Nov from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.. This exam will supply the remaining 40% of your course grade.
Any written work not in the right place by the right time will automatically receive a maximum grade of F(50). Requests for extensions of due dates will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances. If you have more than two unexcused absences, your course grade will be lowered five points for each such absence. I will take daily attendance.
3. It is by design that our readings will be slightly ahead of our discussions. Keep your reading on schedule.
Sept. 14 course information; introductory lecture
16 Discourse: 1
18 Disc: 2 & 3
21 Disc: 3 & 4
23 Disc: 4 & 5
25 Jones 4 & review
28 in-class open-book exam
30 Meditations: Dedication, preface, Synopsis, Med 1
Oct 2 Med 1 & 2
5 Med 2 (again)
7 Med 2 & 3
9 Bouwsma
12 Med 3
14 Med 3 (again)
16 Med 4 & 5 (instructions for 21 Oct. essays distributed)
19 Med 6
21 review Med (essays due in my MH 107 mailbox by 3:10 p.m.)
23 Reading Period
26 Yolton: 31-47
28 & 30 Yolton: 109-111, 115-116, 129-132, 143-144
Nov 2 Yolton: 95-98; 100-108; Mackie VII-IX, 1-5, 7-36
4 Yolton: 95-98; 100-108; Mackie VII-IX, 1-5, 7-36
6 Yolton: 54-79
9 Mackie: 37-71
11 Mackie: 72-88
13 Mackie: 204-225
16 Yolton: 240-257 and 274-289
18 Reading Period
23 1:30 – 4:30, in class open-book final exam
4. My number grade/letter grade Conversion Scale, self-evident to any cerpiever operating in the natural light, is as follows:
above 91 A above 71 C
90-91 A- 70-71 C-
88-89 B+ 68-69 D+
above 81 B above 61 D
80-81 B- 60-61 D-
78-79 C+ below 60 F
5. My formal office hours (no appointment necessary) are MWF 9:15 to 11:00. I will be happy to make appointments to meet with you outside those "formal" hours. (I especially welcome meetings with groups of 2 or 3 students who have already begun exciting bull-sessions on course material.) Feel free to drop by MH 323 or to phone me at 920-832-6681 or to e-mail me at any time.