PHIL 5210.29662 HUME vs. KANT Spring 2021

Instructor: Lawrence Pasternack, Ph.D. Office: https://zoom.us/j/6429890177 Email: L.Pasternack @okstate.edu Office Hours: T, TH 2:00-2:50pm.

How We Meet We will meet via Zoom Teleconferencing: Tues/Thurs 4:30pm-5:45pm. The URL for the class is: https://zoom.us/j/6429890177 If you do not have internet access, a webcam, or for other reasons are unable to participate via Zoom, please contact me. Students will be expected to attend via Zoom & have their cameras on (contact me if you need an exemption from this rule).

Required Texts • David Hume, Treatise on Human Nature (Oxford) • David Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (Oxford) • David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (Cambridge) • Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, trans. Norman Kemp Smith (Palgrave: 2003) (Note: St Martin’s Press has the same translation & uses the same pagination) • Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (Routledge – Harper is fine too) • Immanuel Kant, Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (Cambridge) • Some Additional Readings on D2L

Recommended Texts • Paul Abela, Kant’s Empirical Realism • Henry Allison, Kant’s Transcendental Idealism (1st or 2nd Edition) • Henry Allison, Custom and Reason in Hume • Howard Caygill, A Kant Dictionary (note: definitions are not interpretation neutral) • Fredrick Copleston, A History of Philosophy, Vol. 6 • Sebastian Gardner, Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason • Paul Guyer, Kant and the Claims of Knowledge • Paul Guyer, Knowledge, Reason, and Taste: Kant’s Response to Hume • P.F. Strawson, The Bounds of Sense • Lucas Thorpe, The Kant Dictionary (note: definitions are not interpretation neutral) • Lawrence Pasternack, Kant on Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason • Further recommendations upon request

Course Outline Kant recognized Hume as among the philosophers that had the greatest influence on his thought. He even states that he found in Hume the impetus to abandon his earlier Rationalism, awakening him from his “dogmatic slumber”, which in turn prompted him to develop a new philosophical system. For nearly the whole of the 1770's Kant retreated from publishing until he could find a way to reshape epistemology in such a way that (a) accepts the Empiricist view that without experience, there would be no knowledge, while at the same time (b) rebutting the skeptical consequences of Empiricism that Hume made so manifest, without (c) falling back into Rationalism and its metaphysical indulgences. The purpose of this course is to explore some of Hume’s key theses and the alternatives proffered by Kant. Rather than dividing the course into two consecutive blocks, beginning with Hume and moving on to Kant, we will instead study the two in parallel, with (so far as possible) our Tuesday classes devoted to Hume’s views on a particular topic and our Thursday classes devoted to Kant on the same topic. Readings

Topic Dates Hume Dates Kant

What is 1/21 Allison, Trans. Ideal, Cpt 1 & 2 (CANVAS) Transcendental Idealism?

Origin of 1/26 Enquiry 96-100 1/28 B1- B6 (CPR pgs 41-45) Ideas Treatise 7-12, 17-22 A19/B33-A30/B45 (CPR pgs 65-74)

Math/ 2/2 Enquiry 202-203 2/4 CPR pgs: 52-55, 182-184, 197-201, 259-260, Geometry Treatise 12-13, 33-40 576-593

Knowledge 2/9 Treatise 50-52, 65-81 2/11 A50/B74-A62/B86B116 (CPR pgs 92-99), A820/B848-A823/B851 (CPR pgs 645-647)

Causality 2/16 Enquiry 108-147 2/18 A189/B232-A211/B256 (CPR pgs. 218-233)

External 2/23 Enquiry 199-202 2/25 B274-B279 (CPR pgs 244-247) World Treatise 48-49

3/2 Overflow or TBD 3/4 No Class

Metaphysics 3/9 Enquiry 209-211 3/11 A235/B294-A260/B315 (CPR pgs 257-275) A293/B349-A309/B366 (CPR pgs 297-307) 3/16 Review 3/18 TEST #1

Selfhood 3/23 Treatise 152-171 3/25 B131-B135 (CPR pgs. 152-155), B406-B432 (CPR pgs. 368-383)

Freedom 3/30 Enquiry 148-164 4/1 A444/B472-A445/B473 (CPR pgs. 409-411) A532/B560-A558/B586 (CPR pgs. 464-479) Groundwork: 4:446-453 (pgs. 72-79)

Morality 4/6 Treatise 293-306 4/8 Groundwork: 4:397-403 (pgs. 28-34) 4:420-425 (pgs. 49-53)

God 4/13 Dialogues 17-28, 35-67 4/15 A567/B595-A630/B659 (pages 485-524)

Miracles 4/20 Enquiry 169-186 4/22 Religion: 40-41, 98-102, 178-191

4/27 Overflow or TBD 4/29 Review

Assignment Dates

3/18 = TEST #1 4/16 = Abstract Due 4/30 = TEST #2 5/8 = Paper Due Assignments

• Tests 200 points - there will be two take-home tests which will be submitted online - tests will be weighed equally - tests will be composed of short to mid length questions (i.e. a few sentences to a few paragraphs)

• Abstract for Term Paper Due April 16th by 9pm 50 Points - The abstract should be 2-3 pages (500-750 words) in length. A bibliography of secondary sources suitable to the chosen topic should be attached to the abstract. - The bibliography should include at least EIGHT narrowly focused, recent (post 1980), premiere sources (ask if you don’t know what this implies). These eight cannot include any listed in they syllabus. Sources may be either books or articles. Non peer-reviewed sources are not acceptable. Books whose scope is broader than the chosen paper topic MUST be cited with specific chapters or page ranges. - It is expected that you have read the eight or more sources while preparing your abstract and refer to some of their positions in the abstract. Although you are expected to use eight recent sources other than those listed in the syllabus, you can still use older sources and listed sources to help develop your abstract and paper. The point is that you learn to do a significant level of background research and learn the terrain of debate on the issue you have decided to address. - Thus, you are EXPECTED to make VIGOROUS use of the Philosopher’s Index to develop your bibliography. - Your abstract and bibliography should demonstrate a familiarity with the more influential publications on your paper’s topic over the past decades and the connections between these publications. - It is STRONGLY recommended that you discuss your topic with me prior to submitting the abstract. - It is STRONGLY recommended that you begin your research no later than Mid-March. - I will return the abstract to you within a week of receiving it. If major changes are suggested, you will be asked to submit a new abstract.

• Term Paper Due May 8th by 10 a.m. - Your paper should be 12-15 pages (3000-4000 words) in length. 200 Points - Your paper should navigate through the philosophical terrain formed by the secondary literature and develop your paper’s thesis thereby. - Papers that do not develop the ideas discussed in an approved abstract will receive a 0. - Papers must be submitted via the CANVAS drop box in .doc, .docx, .pdf, rtf, or .wpd format. - All source material must be fully cited: any ideas you take from a source must clearly represent the ideas as not your own and be fully cited; any language you take from a source must clearly represent the language as not your own and be fully cited. Total: 450 points

Grading Scale (for final grades): A=405-450, B360-404, C=315-359, D=270-314, F=0-269

Policies • Attendance will be checked at the beginning of class. There is no direct penalty for poor attendance; however, good attendance (and participation) may be considered when calculating borderline final grades. If you come late to class, it is your responsibility to notify me after class. If you need to leave early, see me before class. • Papers must be submitted typed, double spaced, with 1" margins and stapled. • Late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10 points per week (or any part thereof). This penalty may be waived (at the professor’s discretion) if given prior approval or in cases of a properly documented medical or family emergency. • Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the University’s policy on academic integrity and scrupulously abide by it. Be warned that I will vigorously pursue any suspected violations and believe that the most stringent disciplinary action is almost always warranted. • Official University Policies can be found in University Policy 2-0822, the “Oklahoma State University Student Rights and Responsibilities Governing Student Behavior” and the “Oklahoma State University Syllabus Attachment”