"...God orders me to fulfil the philosopher's mission of searching into myself and other men..." -- Socrates "I will insist on the truth liar that I am" -- Wolf Biermann Introduction Perhaps the best single word to describe the history of western philosophy is the word "tension", which comes from the Latin word tensus, meaning "stretched out". Stretching something out is usually the result of two forces acting on that thing in opposite directions. Just as the human mind naturally thinks in terms of opposites (e.g., "white" and "black"; "day" and "night"; "right" and "wrong"; etc.), so also the history of philosophy is full of examples of opposing viewpoints. Because most people believe that only one of two opposing viewpoints can be correct, a tension inevitably arises between the supporters of the two viewpoints. All the major streams in western philosophy have developed as a direct result of such tensions: tensions between different schools of thought, between different thinkers within each school, and between different ideas held by the same individual. Our overall approach in this class will be to examine the three most important periods of tension in the history of Western philosophy (ancient Greece, the Enlightenment, and the 20th Century) and how they relate to the single most important attempt to resolve these tensions in a single System. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is generally recognized as a kind of "watershed" in the history of western philosophy: he takes all of the tensions passed on to him by his philosophical predecessors and tunes them into the fine harmony of a balanced philosophical System. As a result, as one writer puts it, "Kant, in modern times, has replaced Aristotle as a kind of intellectual reference system". Kant's philosophy will therefore be the focal point of the class, in the sense that our discussion of the ancient and early modern philosophers will serve as a lengthy introduction to the tensions with which Kant was presented, and the contemporary tensions in philosophy will be viewed specifically in their relation to Kant's System. Requirements and Grade Assessment Read as many philosophy books as possible, attend the lectures, and participate in the weekly tutorial! Also, write two essays and take the final exam. Readings: You will be free to choose exactly which readings to do, though a list of suggested readings will be handed out. Lectures: Attending the lectures will not only help you to participate more intelligently in the tutorials, but will also serve as the basis for the final exam. Tutorials: The class will be divided into two groups, which will meet for a discussion in C410 either on Wednesday (10-11am) or on Friday (12-1pm). Opportunity will be given in these sessions for students to ask questions about the lectures and readings, with a view towards understanding how the ideas being discussed relate to the way we actually live our lives. Some extra credit might be given to those who participate most actively in these (and other) class discussions. Essays: 60% of your grade will be based on two essays (1000-1500 words and 3-5 typed A4 pages each). One of these will be read by you to your tutorial group as a way of initiating discussion on one of the philosophers we will have discussed by that point. (At some point during the first two weeks of class you should sign up for the week and topic of your choice.) This paper should interact primarily with one of the books listed in the suggested readings, though you may also criticize or comment on relevant material which has already been discussed in class. Your grade will not be based on your ability to read English, though your written English will count for a small part of your grade. The second paper can be written on any philosophical topic, but should use at least two or three different sources (either from the list of readings or from other philosophical books). If you have any doubt about the appropriateness of your topic, you should ask for the lecturer's approval. The due date for the second paper will depend on when you choose to do the first paper (the earlier you do the first paper, the later you can hand in the second one). Examination: 40% of your final grade will be based on the exam, which will probably consist of one or two essay questions and some short answer questions. Your answers will be graded primarily on how well they show an understanding of the issues discussed in the lectures and tutorials. Tentative Lecture Schedule I. Tensions in Ancient Greek Philosophy: ideas vs. substances 1. Socrates against the City 2. Plato's Cave 3. Plato on virtue and the mediation of love 4. Aristotle's teleological science 5. Aristotle on happiness and the types of friendship 6. God and immortality in Plato and Aristotle II. Tensions in the Enlightenment: reason vs. experience 7. Descartes on mind and body 8. Descartes' solution to the mind-body problem 9. Locke's account of human understanding 10. Berkeley's tree in the forest 11. Spinoza's two perspectives 12. Hume's radical scepticism III. Tensions in Kant: theory vs. practice 13. The problem and its Critical solution 14. What can I know? 15. What can I never know? 16. What ought I to do? 17. What may I hope? 18. What is man? IV. Tensions in Post-Kantian Philosophy: analysis vs. synthesis 19. History and the Absolute in Hegel 20. Two reactions to Hegel: Kierkegaard and Marx 21. The existentialist revolt against analysis (Heidegger) 22. The linguistic revolt against synthesis (Wittgenstein) 23. Wittgenstein's conversion to ordinary language 24. Conclusion: prospects for a unified perspective Office Hours If you have questions about the readings or lectures which you were unable to ask during the tutorials, or if you would like to discuss anything else, feel free to come to my office (C410). My office hours are: Mondays 12-1pm; Tuesdays 10-12am, 4-5pm; and Wednesdays 12-1pm, 2-3pm. If you are unable to come during these hours, you are welcome to come at any other time, except, if possible, do not come on Thursdays.