Admission requirements
Good comprehension of English (written and spoken).
Description
An introductory course to some of the key figures, problems and themes in the philosophy of Enlightenment from Descartes to Kant. Thematic focus: the concept of Reason as articulated in the theories of knowledge and morality in the above thinkers, understood as responses to the problematic of modernity.
Course objectives
Course objectives will be posted on Blackboard by the start of the course.
Timetable
See: Rooster BA Wijsbegeerte 2010-2011
Mode of instruction
Lectures (hoorcollege) with time left over for discussion (2 hours) and tutorial (2 hours)
Assessment method
Regular assignments (10%)
Mid-semester take-home (40%)
Final take-home (50%)
Blackboard
Weekly use for announcements, assignments, course documents (lecture notes, overheads etc.), exams and course information.
Reading list
Reader with excerpts from primary and secondary literature.
Descartes, R., Meditations on First Philosophy ed. Cottingham (CUP 1996. ISBN: 0 521 55818 2)
Spinoza, Ethics 7th ed., transl. Parkinson (OUP 2003. ISBN: 0 19 875214 8)
Registration
Please register for this course on uTwist. See registration procedure
Contact information
Dr. H.W. Siemens: h.w.siemens@phil.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
Admission to this course is restricted to first-year students in the BA in Philosophy (BA Plus-traject). These students also attend the corresponding tutorial.
Lectures will be in English, although Dutch can be used for exams and contributions in class.