NOTE: Due Date for Short Paper Extended to Monday

Philosophy 458: Major Figures in Modern Philosophy

Fall 2009

The Philosophy of George Berkeley

Course Description:

In this course we will explore the central doctrines of Berkeley’s philosophy – the thesis that there is no such thing as matter and the thesis that sensible things (such as trees, tables, and the like) are dependent for their existence upon the mind. We will pay particular attention to question of whether Berkeley's philosophy is contrary to common sense as well as his views about the nature of philosophical perplexity. 

Course Objectives:

(1)   To help you understand some of the philosophical problems, themes, and positions of the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

(2)   To help you understand Berkeley’s basic philosophical views (and his arguments in

favor of those views).

(3) To help you develop your ability to interpret text, provide arguments in favor of your

interpretation, assess the interpretations of others, etc.

(4)   To help develop your ability to identify, and evaluate arguments, assumptions, perspectives of

great philosophers such as Berkeley.

(5) To help you exercise (and thereby improve) you own analytic and synthetic reasoning skills.

(6)   To help you develop a sensitivity to historical/intellectual context and the difficulties involved in making sense of the history of philosophy

Texts:

Berkeley Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, ed. Robert Merrihew Adams, Hackett Publishing, 1979

Berkeley A Treatise concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, ed. Kenneth Winkler, Hackett Publishing, 1983 

Bettcher, Talia Mae Berkeley: A Guide for the Perplexed, Continuum Press, 2008.

I may assign other readings (handouts, etc.).

Requirements:

Cal State L.A. officially communicates to students using electronic mail (e-mail) and other methods.  E-mail provides a cost-effective, timely, and environmentally sensitive means of communicating University business and academic information.
 
Students are expected to access their Cal State L.A. e-mail account on a regular basis so that official university, college and department communications are delivered and received in a timely manner, and students do not miss important communications. (If you wish to forward your Cal State L. A. email to another account, follow the link for instructions on how to do that: http://www.calstatela.edu/its/docs/pdf/forwarding_emails.pdf <http://www.calstatela.edu/its/docs/pdf/forwarding_emails.pdf>

Note: Faculty and students are held accountable for official information sent to their university issues email accounts.

Late Policy: Papers not submitted will receive 0 pts. I accept late papers up to two weeks past the due date. After that, papers receive 0. I deduct 1/6 of a grade for every day the paper is late (including weekend days, vacation days, etc.). Lateness will be excused ONLY in the case of documented emergency (health, family, etc.).    

Plagiarism and Cheating: “At Cal State L.A., plagiarism is defined as the act of using ideas, words, or work of another person or persons as if they were one’s own, without giving proper credit to the original sources” (CSULA 2007-09 University Catalog, p. 760). In this course, any cheating or plagiarism will be penalized with a failing grade for that assignment. Administrative sanctions may also follow (some sanctions include expulsion, suspension, probation). For further information please see the University Catalog, pp. 760-6).

(1)   Attendance and Participation

It is essential that you attend class regularly and that you participate actively in small group/entire class discussion. Additionally, I may assign short homework exercises.

This requirement is ungraded. Instead, I will use this requirement in assessing ‘borderline cases.’ Additionally, excellent completion of this requirement may boost your grade by a ‘+’ and a serious failure to complete this requirement may result in your grade being decreased by a ‘+’.

(2)   Short Mid-Term Test (30%). Oct 26

Test will be used to assess general understanding of readings, lectures, and in-class discussions. It will be comprised of questions requiring mostly short to medium-length answers and will last approximately 30 minutes.

(3)   Short Paper Assignment (35%). Due Nov 18   Click here for assignment.

Students will select a passage from Berkeley and then write a short paper (5 pages, double spaced) which presents Berkeley’s core ideas in the passage and which critically assesses Berkeley’s position.  

More detailed instructions will be provided in class and on-line.

Email submissions are preferred.

(4)   Comprehensive In-Class Final (35%). Dec 9 8:00am-10:30am

Class Schedule

“PHK” stands for the Principles of Human Knowledge. The numerals which follow indicate sections.

“3D” stands for Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. The roman numerals which follow indicate dialogue number (First, Second, or Third). This is usually followed by page number (i.e. p. xx). If you have any questions, please let me know.   

“BGP” stands for Berkeley: A Guide for the Perplexed. This is followed by chapter and page numbers.

NOTE: This schedule lists the passages on which we will be focusing for any given day. My recommendation is to, in addition to keeping up with the passages, read both the Principles and the Dialogues from cover to cover as soon as possible. 

Week One

Sept 28 Introduction/Admin

Sept 30 The Life of Berkeley. Film: The Dean of Thin Air

             BGP Chapter One 3-15

              Click here for a discussion of Berkeley's views on gender, race, and slavery.

Week Two

Oct 5 Berkeley’s Project

PHK Title Page, PHK Preface, Intro (§1-5) & PHK §155-6

3D Title Page, Editor’s intro (pp. xi-xxvi), 3D Preface (pp. 3-5)

BGP Chapter Two (pp. 16-29, not including Section Three)

Oct 7 above continued BGP Chapter Two (to end)

Week Three

Oct 12 Fundamental Assumptions  

PHK § 22-23, 3D I 200-1, BGP Chapter Three (37-50 not including Section Three)

Oct 14 above continued

            PHK § 1-2, § 27; § 135-145; 3D III 65-67; BGP Three (to end)

Week Four

Oct 19 Idealism in the Dialogues

            3D I (7-42 – focus on pp. 7-11); BGP Chapter Four (57-70 not including The             Pain/Pleasure Argument)

Oct 21 above continued

            3D I (7-42 – focus on pp. 11-17); BGP Chapter Four (to end)

Week Five

Oct 26 Immaterialism in the Dialogues

            (Short) Midterm Test

3D I (7-42 – focus on pp. 17-23); BGP Chapter Five (76-86 not including The Power           Theory and the Vulgar)

Oct 28 above continued

            3D I (7-42 – focus on pp. 23-35, 38-42); BGP Chapter Five (to end)

Week Six

Nov 2 Spiritualism in the Principles

            Editor’s Intro to Principles (xi-xxi), PHK Intro; BGP Chapter Six (98-106 not including      Section Two)

Nov 4 above continued

            PHK § 1-24; BGP Chapter Six (to end)

Week Seven

Nov 9 Divine Governance

PHK I §25-33; § 145-49, 3D II (focus on 50-60); BGP Chapter Seven (121-29 not including Section Three)

Nov 11 No Class (Veteran’s Day)

Week Eight

Nov 16 above continued

            Excerpts from Alciphron and Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision (to be distributed in      class); PHK § 42-44; 3D I 33-36; 3D III 77-79; BGP Chapter Seven (to end)

Nov 18 Divine Perception  

            3D II (focus on 43-50); 3D III 73-4; BGP Chapter Eight (144-155 not including Section         Four)

            Short Paper Due!

Week Nine

Nov 23 above continued

            3D III 79-81, 83-88, PHK § 97-98, BGP Chapter Eight (to end)

Nov 25 The Retrenchment

            PHK § 85-156; BGP Chapter Nine (168-175 not including Section Two)

Week Ten

Nov 30 The Return to Common Sense?

            BGP Chapter Nine (to end)

Dec 2 Assessing Berkeley

BGP Conclusion (185-93)

Final Exam: Dec 9 8:00am-10:30am