Reconsidering Early Modern Rationalism Philosophy 481b/681b

Yale University Spring 2017

Tuesdays, 1:30-3:20 Julia Borcherding & Michael Della Rocca

According to one of the most familiar narratives in and of the history of philosophy, standardly employed in philosophy curricula, and omnipresent in Anglophone philosophy throughout the 20th century, early modern philosophy was marked by the struggle between two highly influential, rival schools of thought: rationalism, brought on by Descartes and his followers, and empiricism, roughly starting with Locke, and roughly ending with Hume. Early modern philosophy was then finished off by Kant, who engineered the great reconciliation between and synthesis of the two by starting a new movement of his own (German Idealism).

In this class, we will attempt to examine an important element of this story in greater depth, namely the movement of thought commonly subsumed under the label of “rationalism.” We will consider a number of philosophers from the period who are often considered rationalist thinkers, such as Rene ́ Descartes, Anne Conway, Baruch Spinoza, G.W.F. Leibniz, and Emilié du Chatelet.̂

In addition to considering rationalist themes in metaphysics, epistemology, and moral philosophy, we will particularly focus on different conceptions of rationalism, on what are its various methodologies, on principles that have been thought to guide rationalism, and on the arguments for and against these principles. We will also attend to challenges to rationalism both in the early modern period itself and in recent, especially feminist, thought.

Requirements & Prerequisites Requirements

(a) one twenty-page paper due at the end of reading period (Thursday, May 4) OR one 5-7 page paper due on Monday, March 6 (at midnight) and one 10-15 page paper due at the end of reading period. The 10-15 page paper may be a revision and an expansion of the 5-7 page paper

(b) discussion with us about your paper topic and paper (c) seminar participation Prerequisites

Two courses in philosophy, including Philosophy 126b or the equivalent.

Office Hours

Borcherding: Wednesday 1:30-2:30, Connecticut Hall 102 Della Rocca: Thursday 1:30-3:30, Connecticut Hall 401

Contact info

Borcherding: [email protected]; 203-507-1905 Della Rocca: [email protected]; 203- 432-2764

Readings

Readings will be made available on the course website on Canvas.

Useful Editions of Primary Texts in Translation Descartes

Spinoza

(CSM[K] I-III) The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, 3 vols., trans. John Cottingham, Robert Stoothoff, Dugald Murdoch, and Anthony Kenny. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984-91.

Benedictus de Spinoza, A Spinoza Reader: The Ethics and Other Works, ed. and trans. Edwin Curley. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. (Curley)

Conway

Conway, Anne, The Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy, trans. Taylor Corse and Allison Coudert. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. (Principles)

Leibniz

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Philosophical Essays, eds. and trans. Roger Ariew and Daniel Garber. Indianapolis & Cambridge: Hackett, 1989. (AG)

Du Châtelet

Du Chatelet,̂ Emilie, Selected Philosophical and Scientific Writings, ed. Judith P. Zinsser, trans. Isabelle Bour and Judith P. Zinsser. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009. (Writings)

Schedule of Topics and Readings

* =optional/supplementary readings

I The Idea of Rationalism

1 Intro Session topics characteristics of rationalism varieties of rationalism

2 Spinning the Rationalist Tale topics classic features of rationalism vs empiricism origins of the rationalism-empiricism narrative contemporary accounts and critiques readings

Karl Leonhard Reinhold, The Foundation of Philosophical Knowledge, 53 [38] - 63 [62] Wilhelm Gottlieb Tennemann, A Manual of the History of Philosophy, 11-12 (§27); 30-32 (§55-§62); 281-285 (§308-§314) Kuno Fischer, History of Modern Philosophy, chapter 7: “The Course of Development of Modern Philosophy”, 158- 162.

Arthur Rogers, A Student’s History of Philosophy, “III. Modern Philosophy, Introduction”, 253-256. Frederick Copleston, A History of Philosophy, vol. 4, “Introduction”, §2-§4, 16-33.

Knud Haakonssen, “The Idea of Early Modern Philosophy” *Alberto Vanzo, “Empiricism and Rationalism in Nineteenth-Century Histories of Philosophy”

3 First Principles topics

What are classic rationalist first principles? What are first principles? The role of hypotheses readings

Descartes, Principles, Preface to the French edition (CSM I, 179-190); §75 (CSM I, 221) Spinoza, Ethics, definitions and axioms of Part I; 1P1-1P15; 1p33; axioms of Part II; 2p7; 3p4-3p6 Leibniz, Primary Truths (AG 30-35); Mon. §31-§38 (AG 217-18); On the General Characteristic, part II, DM §1 (AG 35); New Essays, pref. (AG 297) Du Chatelet, Foundations of Physics, Chapter 1: Of the Principles of our Knowledge; Chapter 4: Hypotheses (Writings, 124-138, 147-155) Lin, “The Principle of Sufficient Reason in Spinoza”, The Oxford Handbook of Spinoza Detlefsen, “Du Chatelet and Descartes on the Role of Hypothesis” *Bolton, “Leibniz’s Theory of Knowledge: Mathematical and Natural Science”

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4 “Rationalist” Methodology and the Ideal of Reason topics

Descartes’ rationalist methodology? The “Man of Reason” debate readings

Descartes, Rules 1-4, 8, 12 (CSM I, 9-20, 28-33); Discourse, CSM I, 120-122; Meditations, Synopsis, in: Selected Writings, 73-75 (CSM I, 9-11), Second Replies (CSM I, 110-113) Astell, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part II, Chapter 3, 144-155; 166-168.

Gaukroger, “Descartes: Methodology” *Miles, “Descartes Method” Lloyd, The Man of Reason, Chapter 3: “Reason as attainment”, 38-50 Atherton, “Cartesian Reason” *Bordo, “The Cartesian Masculinization of Thought”

II Rationalist Themes in Early Modern Philosophy

Rationalist Metaphysics?

5 God topics

The Priority of The Infinite Cosmological Arguments readings

Descartes, Meditations, Third Meditation Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, section 2 (paragraph 14) Leibniz, Mon.,§§41, 45, 48; “That a Most Perfect Being Exists” (L 167-68); “On the Radical Origination of Things” (L 486-491); “Dodwell and Immortality” (Grua 557)

Schechtman, “Descartes’s Argument for the Existence of the Idea of an Infinite Being” Adams, “The Priority of the Perfect”

6 Substance topics

Theories of distinction Modes and attributes readings

Descartes, Principles I 51-65; Meditations, Sixth Meditation Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature I.1.7 (pp. 24-25)

Nelson, “The Rationalist Impulse” *Hoffman, “Descartes’s Theory of Distinction” *Hoffman, “Hume on the Distinction of Reason” *Baxter, “Hume, Distinctions of Reason, and Differential Resemblance”

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7 Causation topics

Occasionalism Concurrence Laws readings

Descartes, Meditations, Third Meditation; Fifth Replies (CSM II 254-55, 261, 275); Sixth Replies (CSM II 291- 294); The World (CSM I 92-98); Principles I 39-41, II 23-64, III 56-57; Letters (CSM III 23, 25,-26, 235, 339-40, 348, 358-59, 363, 380-82). Malebranche, The Search After Truth, 3.2.1.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.6, 6.2.3, Elucidation 15

Leibniz, “New System of Nature” (AG 138-45); “Postscript of a letter to Basnage de Beauval” (AG 147-49); “On Nature Itself” (AG 155-67); Letters to Clarke, pp. 320-24, 343-46; Monadology

Della Rocca, “Causation without Intelligibility and Causation without God in Descartes” *Nadler, “Malebranche on Causation” *Rutherford, “Natures, Laws, and Miracles: The Roots of Leibniz’s Critique of Occasionalism”

8 Arguments for and Against the PSR topics

The PC and the PSR Theory of Truth and the PSR Atomism, Monism, and the PSR readings

Leibniz, Primary Truths; Discourse on Metaphysics, sections 8-13; Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence, 5th Letter, section 18; Confessio (A VI.iii.118); “De Existentia” (De Summa Rerum 111-13). Hume, Treatise, 1.3.3, 1.4.5 Wolff, “Rational Thoughts on God, the World, and the Soul of Human Beings” (Watkins, 11-12 [sections 28- 29,143])

Baumgarten, Metaphysics, (Watkins, 89-93) Kant, Nova Dilucidatio, Proposition 8 Look, “Grounding the Principle of Sufficient Reason: Leibnizian Rationalism and the Humean Challenge” Della Rocca, “Playing with Fire: Hume, Rationalism, and a Little Bit of Spinoza” *Adams, Leibniz: Determinist, Theist, Idealist, 65-71

Rationalist Epistemology?

9 Innate Powers & Innate Ideas topics

Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz on innate ideas the role of reflection in their accounts readings

Leibniz, New Essays, pref., Book 1-2; “Quid Sit Idea” Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 2, Chapters I, II, VI-VII

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TeachingPortfolio|JuliaBorcherding 27 Descartes, The Search for Truth (CSM II 400-420); Conversations with Burman (CSMK III, 147, 153); Comments on a Certain

Broadsheet (CSM I, 303-307); selections from the Meditations and Replies

McRae, “Innate Ideas” Yolton, “Locke’s Concept of Experience”, “Reflection” *Boyle, Descartes on Innate Ideas, chapter 3: “The Role of Reflection in Perceiving Innate Ideas” *Jolley, The Light of the Soul, chapters 9 & 10: “Leibniz: The Defence of Innate Ideas”, Leibniz: Innate Ideas, Reflection, and Self-Knowledge” *Borcherding, “The Marble’s Veins. Locke and Leibniz on Innate Ideas”

10 Varieties of Knowledge topics

What kinds of knowledge are there on accounts standardly considered rationalist? two interesting cases: intuitive knowledge, role of imagination readings

Spinoza, Ethics, Part II, 2p16-end, Part V; Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect Leibniz, “On What is Independent of Sense and Matter” (AG 186-192); “Meditations on Knowledge, Truth, and Ideas (AG 23-27); “Dialogue “(AG 268-272); New Essays (selections) Conway, The Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy, Chapters 6-8

Sepper, “Spinoza, Leibniz, and the Rationalist Reconception of Imagination” Lascano, “Anne Conway. Bodies in the Spiritual World” *Primus, “Scientia Intuitiva in the Ethics” *Soyarslan, “The Distinction between Reason and Intuitive Knowledge in Spinoza’s Ethics” Rationalist Ethics?

11 Moral Perfectionism topics eudaimonism and perfectionism the relation between the will and the intellect readings

Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 1, Chapter III; “Knowledge B”; “Pleasure, Pain, and the Passions”, “Ethica A” Leibniz, New Essays, Book I, Chapter II; “Aphorisms”; “Meditation on Justice”; “Felicity”

Antognazza, “Rationalism” Borcherding, “Moral Knowledge in the New Essays”

12 Reason and the Passions topics reason’s power to reveal the good, and lead us to the good life the relation between reason and the passions readings

Spinoza, Ethics Book III-V Look, “Perfection, Power, and the Passions in Leibniz and Spinoza”

Della Rocca, Spinoza’s Metaphysical Psychology”

III Reconsidering Rationalism

13 Rewriting the History of Philosophy topics methodology in the history of philosophy challenges and benefits of canonization interpretative principles readings

Don Garrett, Philosophy and History in the History of Modern Philosophy,’’ in The Future for Philosophy, ed. Brian Leiter (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004)