Tues., Jan. 7: (no reading, first class).
I. Background: Aristotelian Metaphysics
Thurs., Jan. 9: selections from Aristotle (on substance and accident).
Tues., Jan. 14: selections from Aristotle and
Porphyry (on the predicables and the
categories). ME #1
due.
Thurs., Jan. 16: selections from Plotinus, Porphyry, Avicenna, and Thomas Aquinas (on substance and accident). ME #2 due.
II. Descartes
Tues., Jan. 21: Descartes, Discourse on the Method, parts 1-3 (pp. 20-35), part 6, first paragraph (p. 46); Principles of Philosophy I.1-3 (p. 160), IV.207 (p. 212). ME #3 due.
Thurs., Jan. 23: First Meditation (pp. 76-9). No ME due.
Tues., Jan. 28: beginning of Second Meditation
(pp. 80-83, through the paragraph ending “in this restricted sense
of the term it is simply thinking”); Principles of Philosophy
I.9-10 (p. 162-3), .20 (pp. 166-7); Objections and Replies,
selection entitled “[Appendix: Arguments Arranged in Geometrical
Fashion],” pp. 150-52. ME
#4
due.
Thurs., Jan. 30: remainder of Second Meditation (pp. 83-6); Principles of Philosophy I.8 (p. 162), .11 (p. 163), .45-8 (pp. 174-6), .51-4 (pp. 177-8), .63 (p. 182), .66 (p. 183), II.4 (p. 190). ME #5 due.
Tues., Feb. 4: Third and Fifth
Meditations (pp. 86-98; 105-110). First
paper
due. No ME
due.
Thurs., Feb. 6: Fourth Meditation (pp. 98-105); Principles of Philosophy I.6 (p. 161); Objections and Replies, selection entitled “[The indifference of the will]” (pp. 134-5). ME #6 due.
Tues., Feb. 11: Sixth Meditation (pp. 110-22); Passions of the Soul I.17-18 (p. 225), .25 (pp. 227-8); .30-35
(pp. 229-32); .39-41 (p. 233); .49-50 (pp. 237-8). ME #7
due.
III. Spinoza
Thurs, Feb. 13: Spinoza, Ethics, I, beginning through Scholium to Prop. 15 (pp. 31-43). Theologico-Political Treatise, ch. 7, tr. Elwes, pp. 98-top of 101 (ending “which occur in the Bible”). (All readings from this text are available as a single file on ecommons.) ME #8 due.
Tues., Feb. 18: Ethics, I, Prop. 16 through end
(pp. 43-62). Theologico-Political Treatise, pp. 101-4
(ending “its meaning concerning them”).
Thurs., Feb. 20: Ethics, II, beginning through Scholium to Prop. 18 (pp. 63-79). Theologico-Political Treatise, paragraph beginning at the bottom of p. 106 (“We have thus shown ...”) and ending on p. 107 (“...about the former''); top of p. 114 (beginning “There only remains”)-top of p. 117 (ending “the learned fare alike”). ME #9 due.
Tues., Feb. 25: Spinoza, Ethics, II, Prop. 19 to end
(pp. 80-101). Theologico-Political Treatise,
pp. 117-119. No ME due. Second paper
due. No ME due.
Thurs., Feb. 27: Spinoza Ethics, III, beginning through Scholium to Prop. 11 (pp. 102-111) and Prop. 53 (p. 136); IV, Definitions (pp. 155-6) and Prop. 28 (p. 168); V, Preface (pp. 201-3), Prop. 4 (p. 206) and Prop. 14 to end (pp. 210-23). ME #11 due.
IV. Leibniz
Tues., Mar. 4: Leibniz, “A New System of Nature,” first three
paragraphs (pp. 138-9); from letters to Clarke: 1.4 (pp. 320-21),
2.12 (p. 324), 3.17 (p. 327), 4.42 (p. 331), 5.107-11 (pp. 343-4),
along with Clarke's
replies
to each; “A Specimen of Dynamics,” first two paragraphs
(pp. 118-19); “Discourse on Metaphysics,” §§2 8-12, 24, 26-8, 33 (pp. 40-44, 56-7,
58-60, 64-5). ME #12
due.
Thurs., Mar. 6: “A New System of Nature,” remaining part (pp. 139-45); “Monadology,” §§1-61 (pp. 213-21). No ME due.
Tues., Mar. 11: selections from Thomas Aquinas (on angels); Leibniz, from letters to de Volder, last two paragraphs of B, first paragraph of C, and first paragraph of D (pp. 178-9, 181-2); “Monadology,” §§62-81 (pp. 221-3). Introductory paragraph and outline of final paper due. No ME due.
Thurs., Mar. 13: “Dialogue on Human Freedom,” pp. 111-17; letter to Coste (pp. 193-6); “Discourse on Metaphysics,” §§13-16, 19-20, 30-32, 35-7 (pp. 44-9, 52-3, 60-64, 66-8); “Monadology,” §§ 82-end (pp. 223-5). ME #13 due.
Tues., Mar. 18: final paper
due.