HISTORY of METAPHYSICS 730: 414, Spring, 2012
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HISTORY OF METAPHYSICS 730: 414, Spring, 2012 SYLLABUS Martha Bolton, [email protected] Office: 1 Seminary Place, room 201; phone 732-932-9861 Office hours: M and W 4:30-5:30pm; by arrangement on Thursday afternoon TEXTS: all reading assignments are on electronic reserve REQUIREMENTS: Students are expected to complete reading assignments thoroughly and promptly. Each assignment should be read at least once for the class meeting on the date by which it is listed. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions, make comments, and join in class discussion. There will be a short paper assignment (5-7 pages) and a long paper (12-15 pages). Students are expected to attend all classes. If you must miss one or two classes, please use the University absence reporting website https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An email is automatically sent to me. SCHEDULE Items marked by ‘*’ are available electronically from the Alexander Library catalogue Jan. 18 Introduction Jan. 23 Aristotle Categories, tr. Ackrill, chs. 1-8; notes recommended Jan. 25 same Jan. 30 Descartes Epistemology, definition, kinds of substance: Meditations, Preface to Reader, Synopsis, II, III, VI; Second Replies, definitions; Principles I, 48, 52-54, 60-62; To Gibieuf, 19 January 1642); Arnauld, ‘Fourth Objections’ (the nature of the human mind) and ‘Replies’ Feb. 1 same Feb. 6 Extended substance: Prin 1.60-63, 64; 2.1-35; letter to *** 1645 or ’46 Feb. 8 How many extended substances? Available: Helen Morris Cartwright, ‘Quantities’, Philosophical Review (1970)* 2 Feb. 13 Universals, time, number, existence: Meditation 5; Principles 1.52-56; letter to *** 1645/6 Feb. 15 Thought as principal attribute and mode—structure of a substance Prin I, 60-65; Letters exchanged between Descartes and Arnauld Suggested: W. E. Johnson, Logic, 3 vols., excerpts Jorge Secada, Cartesian Metaphysics, 184-200 M. Glouberman, ‘Cartesian Substances and Modal Totalities’ Feb. 20 Mind-body dualism: Meditation 6; letters exchanged by Descartes and Princess Elizabeth Suggested: John Cottingham, “Cartesian Trialism’, Mind (1985), 226f* Paul Hoffman, ‘The Unity of Descartes’ Man’, Philosophical Review (1986), 339-70* Feb. 22 same Feb. 27 Hobbes ‘Third Objections’ to Descartes’ Meditations; De Corpore, Part 1, ch. 1,1-6, ch. 6,1; Part 2, chs. 7, 8, 10, 11 Feb. 29 same Mar. 5 Locke Structure of substance: Essay concerning Human Understanding, Table of Contents, Bk 2, chs. 12, 22, 23 Suggested: Jonathan Bennett, ‘Substratum’ M. R. Ayers, ‘The Ideas of Power and Substance in Locke’s Philosophy’ Mar. 7 same Mar. 10-8 Spring break Mar. 19 Mechanism: Essay, Bk 2, ch. 8; Bk 4, ch. 3 Suggested: A. D. Smith, ‘On Primary and Secondary Qualities’, Philosophical Review (1990), 221-54* Mar. 21 Superadded powers: Essay, Bk 4, ch. 3 (again); excerpt from letter to Stillingfleet Suggested: Wilson, ‘Superadded Properties in Locke’s Essay’ Ayers, ‘Mechanism, Super-Addition, and the Proof of God’s Existence in Locke’s Essay’, Philosophical Review (1981), 210-50* 3 Mar. 26 No class Mar. 28 Short paper due in class (5-7 pages) Identity and individuation: Essay, Bk 2, ch. 27 Suggested: Christopher Conn, ‘Locke on Essence and Identity’, British Journal for the History of Philosophy 13 (2005), 397-402 Apr. 2 Personal identity Suggested: Shelley Weinberg, ‘Locke on Personal Identity’, Philosophical Compass, 6 (2011), 398-407* Apr. 4 Leibniz Complete concept theory of substance: Discourse on Metaphysics, secs. 1-17; excerpts from letters to Arnauld Apr. 11 No Purely Extrinsic Denominations Apr. 16 Individuation and identity: excerpt from letter to Arnauld; New Essays, selections on minute perceptions and personal identity Suggested: Cover and Hawthorne, Substance and Individuation in Leibniz, pp. 87-110 John Carriero, ‘Substance and Ends in Leibniz’ Apr. 18 Monad theory: Excerpt from Specimen dynamicum ; New Essays, 169-71; excerpts from letters to De Volder Suggested: Richard Arthur, ‘Infinite Aggregates and Phenomenal Wholes: Leibniz’s Theory of Substance as a Solution to the Continuum Problem’ Apr. 23 same Apr. 25 Space: excerpts from letters exchanged between Leibniz and Clarke Suggested: Gonzalo Rodriquez-Pereyra, ‘Leibniz’s Argument for the Identity of Indiscernibles in His Correspondence with Clarke’, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 77 (1999), 429-38* Apr. 30 same May 6 Long paper due in Philosophy Department Office at 4:00pm .