Nineteenth Century Western Philosophy

PHIL 320 (3 hrs), Manchester College, Fall 2006

Instructor: Dr. Steve Naragon, Office: Ad Bldg., #35b (Phone — office: 982-5041; home: 982-6033)

Required Texts:

(1) Robert Solomon, Introducing the German Idealists (Hackett 1981). [ISBN: 0-915145-03-0]

(2) Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, The Essential Writings, ed. by Frederick Weiss. [ISBN: 0-061318-31-0]

(3) John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, ed. by Elizabeth Rapaport (Hackett 1978). [ISBN: 0-915144-43-3]

(4) Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Penguin). [ISBN: 0-140444-49-1]

(5) Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols & The Anti-Christ (Penguin). [ISBN: 0-140445-14-5]

(6) Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science (Knopf). [ISBN: 0-394719-85-9]

(7) Handouts of texts by Arthur Schopenhauer (selections from The World as Will and Representation), Karl Marx (selections from The Philosophical and Economic Manuscripts), C. S. Peirce (“The Fixation of Belief” and “How to Make our Ideas Clear”).

Recommended Text: (1) Robert Audi, ed., The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, 2nd ed.

Course Objectives: By the end of all your ruminations in this course, you should be able to mark improvement in the following areas: (1) your understanding of the nature and history of Western philosophy; (2) your skills for critically evaluating arguments and beliefs; (3) your ability to read primary texts; (4) your sense of the historiography of philosophy; and (5) your ability to reflect on certain questions that confront us all: How can I know something to be true? What is the good life and how is it attained? What can I hope for after death? What is it to be human?

Some virtues to bring with you into the philosophy classroom: humility when comparing your beliefs with those of others; patience for listening closely to views that seem foolish or misguided to you; courage to advance in the face of adversity what seems to be the correct view; endurance for following arguments to their conclusion; humor for those moments when you feel the utter futility of your efforts.

Requirements

Readings. Read the assignments closely prior to class, and always bring the text. Class discussions and your success in this class depend upon this. If you are not willing to commit yourself to this, then it would be best to withdraw from the course.

Attendance. A course on philosophy is by its nature aimed at self-examination and discussion; consequently, taking the class requires being there, and thus six absences (excused or otherwise) are allowed. After that, each additional absence (of any kind) results in a 1% drop in your course grade.

Student Presentations. Students will take turns presenting introductory material on one of the philosophers studied this semester. This should include a brief chronology of their life, both biographical and literary, and a quick summary of their work. A one page handout should also be prepared to distribute to the rest of the class at that time; this handout must be given to me one week before it is to be presented in class.

Exegetical essays. Once every two or three weeks you will need to write a two-page exegetical essay assigned for a paragraph or two of text or perhaps an expository essay on some topic. These need to be typed and proofed, but otherwise shouldn’t involve more than an hour or two of your time. Staple your pages together, but please avoid title pages, covers, or other such peripheral junk. Papers are graded on spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clarity of style, but I’m primarily interested in how well you can tackle a bit of text on your own and make sense of it. Late papers are penalized.

Exams. There will be three essay exams. These will be take-home exams; I’ll get them to you on the Wednesday evening of that week, and they will be due by the following Monday evening at 7:45pm; class will not meet on the Monday that the exams are due. The third (i.e., final) exam is due during the scheduled time for the final.

Grading. Each exam is worth 25%; the group of exegetical essays is worth 20%; and the class presentation is worth 5% of the course grade.

Schedule of Discussion and Readings

Introduction

Wed, Aug 30

Introduction to the Course: Overview of the 19th Century.

Mon, Sep 4

Review of Kant: “In philosophy, the whole nineteenth century was a betrayal of Kant.” — Marjorie Grene.  Read: Solomon, pp. 1-41.

Wed, Sep 6

Post-Kantian Idealists.  Read: Solomon, pp. 43-61.

Hegel

Mon, Sep 11

Introduction.  Read: Weiss, pp. 1-36.

Wed, Sep 13

Sense-Certainty.  Read: Weiss, pp. 37-63.

Mon, Sep 18

Master/Slave Dialectic.  Read: Weiss, pp. 64-79.

Wed, Sep 20 -- Mack Day

Mon, Sep 25

Actualization of Rational Self-Consciousness.  Read: Weiss, pp. 79-85.

Wed, Sep 27

Philosophy of Right.  Read: Weiss, pp. 253-69.

Mon, Oct 2 First Exam

Schopenhauer

Wed, Oct 4

Introduction.  Read: The World as Will and Representation, vol. 1, §19.

Mon, Oct 9

Read: The World as Will and Representation, vol. 2, §19.

Wed, Oct 11

(cont.)

Marx

Mon, Oct 16

Introduction.  Read: “Introduction” to a Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Theory of Right”

Wed, Oct 18

Read: Paris Manuscripts ("Alienated Labor"), “Theses on Feuerbach”

Mon, Oct 23

Read: German Ideology

Wed, Oct 25

Read: Communist Manifesto, “Preface” to a Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (1859)

Mill

Mon, Oct 30

Introduction.  Read: On Liberty (through ch. 2)

Wed, Nov 1

Read: On Liberty (chs. 3-5)

Mon, Nov 6 Second Exam

Kierkegaard

Wed, Nov 8

Introduction.  Read: Fear and Trembling: Preface, Attunement, Praise of Abraham

Mon, Nov 13

Read: FT, Preamble and Problema I

Wed, Nov 15

Read: FT, Problema II

Mon, Nov 20

Read: FT, Problema III

Nietzsche

Mon, Nov 27

Introduction.  Read: The Anti-Christ, §§1-41

Wed, Nov 29

Read: The Anti-Christ, §§42-62.

Mon, Dec 4

Read: Gay Science, Preface to 2nd ed. + §§1-3, 54-58, 99-107, 108-25, 270, 276-83, 289-90.

Wed, Dec 6

Read: Gay Science, §§333, 335, 340-42, 343-60, 370-83.

Finals Week Cumulative Exam