Phil 93: The RationalistsWinter 2006Tue. and Thurs., 2-3:45pm.Professor: Abe [email protected]: Cowell Annex A-106Phone (office): 459-5723Office hours: Mon. 2–3pm, Thurs. 10–11am, or by appointment.Teaching Assistants:Andrew [email protected]: Wed. 9:30–10:40am (Oakes 106); Wed. 7–8:10pm (Cowell 134).Ben [email protected]: Mon. 5–6:10pm (Porter 249); Tues. 6–7:10pm (Oakes 102).Course RequirementsParticipation in discussion sections. “Metaphysics exercises,” due in class most days.(Due Thur., Jan. 12; Tues., Jan. 17; Thur., Jan. 19; Tues., Jan. 24; Tues., Jan. 31;Thurs., Feb. 2; Thurs., Feb. 9; Tues., Feb. 14; Thurs., Feb. 16; Tues., Feb. 21; Thurs.,Feb. 23; Tues., Feb. 28; Thurs., Mar. 2; Tues., Mar. 7; Tues., Mar. 14.) One shortpaper (2–3 pages), due in class, Tue., Feb. 7, and one long paper (4–6 pages), dueTue., Mar. 21, in my office, by 5pm. Please also e-mail me copies of your papers (inwhatever format you find convenient).TextsDescartes, Selected Philosophical Writings, tr. J. Cottingham, R. Stoothoff and D.Murdoch (Cambridge).Leibniz, Philosophical Essays, ed. R. Ariew and D. Garber (Hackett).Spinoza, The Ethics, Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect, and Selected Letters,tr. S. Shirley, ed. S. Feldman (Hackett).The above texts should be available at the Literary Guillotine. Readings not on theabove list will be made available as photo copies and/or on e-reserve.1Please feel free to contact the instructor and/or your TA with questions about the substance ofthe course (philosophical issues, questions about the meaning of the texts, questions about papertopics, etc.). On administrative issues (grades, lateness/extensions, due dates, section times, etc.)please try your TA first.1ReadingsThur., Jan. 5: (no reading, first class).I. Background: Aristoteli an MetaphysicsTue., Jan. 10: selections from Aristotle (on substance and accident).Thur., Jan. 12: selections from Aristotle and Porphyry (on the predicables and thecategories). ME #1 due.Tue., Jan. 17: selections from Plotinus, Porphyry, and John Philoponus (on substanceand accident). ME #2 due.Thur., Jan. 19: selections from Avicenna and Thomas Aquinas (on substance andaccident). ME #3 due.II. DescartesTue., Jan. 24: 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 #4 due.Thur., Jan. 26: First Meditation (pp. 76–9). No ME due.Tue., Jan. 31: beginning of Second Meditation (pp. 80–83, through the paragraphending “in this restricted sense of the term it is simply thinking”); Principles ofPhilosophy I.9 (p. 162), .20 (p. 166). ME #5 due.Thur., Feb. 2: remainder of Second Meditation (pp. 83–6); Principles of PhilosophyI.8 (p. 162), .11 (p. 163), .45–8 (pp. 175–6), .51–4 (pp. 177–8), .63 (p. 182), .66(p. 183), II.4 (pp. 190–91). ME #6 due.Tue., Feb. 7: Third and Fifth Meditations (pp. 86–98; 105–110) and first paper due.No ME due.Thur., Feb. 9: 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 #7 due. (Note: ME #7 is slightly longer and includes questions coveringthe previous two readings.)2Tue., Feb. 14: 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 #8due.III. SpinozaThur., Feb. 16: 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 occ ur in the Bible”). (Readings from this text are available on e-reserve.)ME #9 due.Tue., Feb. 21: Ethics, I, Prop. 16 through end (pp. 43–62). Theologico-PoliticalTreatise, pp. 101–4 (ending “its meaning concerning them”). ME #10 due.Thur., Feb. 23: Ethics, II, beginning through Scholium to Prop. 18 (pp. 63–79).Theologico-Political Treatise, paragraph beginning at the bottom of p. 106 (“Wehave thus shown . . . ”) and ending on p. 107 (“. . . about the former”); top ofp. 114 (beginning “There only remains”)–top of p. 117 (ending “the learned farealike”). ME #11 due.Tue., Feb. 28: Spinoza, Ethics, II, Prop. 19 to end (pp. 80–101). Theologico-PoliticalTreatise, pp. 117–119. ME #12 due.Thur., Mar. 2: Spinoza Ethics, III, beginning through Scholium to Prop. 11 (pp. 102–111); V, Preface (pp. 201–3), Prop. 14 to end (pp. 210–23). ME #13 due.IV. LeibnizTue., Mar. 7: Leibniz, “A New System of Nature,” first three paragraphs (pp. 138–9); from letters to Clarke: 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;2“A Specimen of Dynamics,” firsttwo paragraphs (pp. 118–19); “Discourse on Metaphysics,” §§8–12, 24, 26–8, 33(pp. 40–44, 56–7, 58–60, 64–5). ME #14 due.Thur., Mar. 9: “A New System of Nature,” remaining part (pp. 139–45); “Monadol-ogy,” §§1–61 (pp. 213-21). No ME due.Tue., Mar. 14: selections from Thomas Aquinas (on angels); Leibniz, from letters to2Clarke’s replies are not in your book; they will be made available on e-reserve and/or as ahandout.3de Volder, last two paragraphs of B, first paragraph of C, and first paragraph ofD (pp. 178–9, 181–2); “Monadology,” §§62–81 (pp. 221–3). ME #15 due.Thur., Mar. 16: “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). No ME due.Tue., Mar. 21: second paper due.4TimelineTimeline of various stuff more or less relevant to this course:399 B.C. Death of Socrates –– 347 B.C. Death of Plato322 B.C. Death of Aristotle •197 B.C. Roman conquest of Greece –1 Birth of Jesus (approx.) –• 270 Death of Plotinus305 Death of Porphyry (approx.) •–312 Conversion of Constantine to Christianity410 Sack of Rome by the Visigoths –529 Emp. Justinian closes phil. schools of Athens –6th c. John Philoponus622 Muhammad flees from Mecca to Medina –8th–9th c. Aristotle translated into Arabic• 1037 Death of Avicenna11th–13th c. Aristotle translated into Latin1204–1261 Latin (Crusader) rule in Constantinople• 1274 Death of St. Thomas Aquinas1347–1351 The Black Death1453 Fall of Constantinople to