Summer 2012 AS.150.125 Introduction to Modern Philosophy M W F 2:00pm - 4:30pm Giorgi Lebanidze / giorgi@jhu.

edu Location: Gilman 17 Office hours: Friday 4:30 5:30 Gilmans Atrium

Course Description: The course introduces students to the central themes of early modern philosophy through examination of the works of Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, and Kant. Although the most recent of these thinkers died more than 200 years ago, we still refer to them as modern philosophers. This is a manifestation of their great influence on the way we think about ourselves and our place in the world. The course will look at what these philosophers thought about questions such as: What kind of beings are we and how are we related to the world around us? Is knowledge of the world possible and if so what are its sources? Can we answer the question of Gods existence? Is order something we find in the world or impose on it? etc. Required Texts: Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy, Cambridge. ISBN 0521558182 Leibniz Philosophical Essays, translated by Ariew and Garber, Hackett.. ISBN 0872200620 Kant Critique of Pure Reason (Abridged), translated by Pluhar, Hackett. ISBN 0872204480 Week 1: Reading: Descartes: Week 2: Reading: Leibniz: Week 3: Reading: Hume: Kant: Week 4 Reading: Kant

Meditations Discourse on Metaphysics and Monadology Excerpts from An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding Critique of Pure Reason: Prefaces and Introduction Critique of Pure Reason: pp 25- 120

Requirements: Students are expected to participate in class discussions. This facilitates understanding of the material and helps students to develop the skill of analysis of philosophical text. Class participation will be counted as 20% of final grade; this will include attendance and contribution to discussions. Two short papers (about 5-6 pages long), one due on August 6th and the second one on August 10th. Or One longer paper (about 10 pages long) due a week after the end of the course August 10th. Final grades will be calculated as follows: Class participation: Final paper (or two shorter papers): 20%; 80%

Academic integrity: According to the Undergraduate Student Handbook, Students are obliged to refrain from acts which they know, or under circumstances have reason to know, violate the academic integrity of the university. Violations of academic ethics include, but are not limited to cheating; plagiarism; submitting the same or substantially similar work to satisfy the requirements of more than one course without permission; submitting as ones own the same or substantially similar work of another (www.jhu.edu/advising/academic_manual/ethics.html). When in doubt cite!