Syllabus for “Descartes: Sensible Doubts and Legitimate Knowledge?” 

 

Spring 2018

 

A Seven Week Course Week of March 12—Week of April 23

 

Midcoast Senior College, 10 Tibbetts Dr, Brunswick, ME

 

Bruce Hauptli

 Copyright © 2018 Bruce W. Hauptli

Descartes wishes to place human knowledge on the most firm of foundations so that the "new modern age" could be certain of its understanding of the world.  To do so he tries to give skeptical doubts their maximal sway.  In doing so, he believes, he can uncover both the most secure form of knowledge, and the method for building the new "scientific understanding" upon this foundation.  His project has a lasting influence upon our culture, and in this course we will study his Meditations on First Philosophy [1641].  We will address the following questions:  

“Why does he start out in skepticism?” 

“Do his doubts ultimately make sense?” 

“What is his first claim to knowledge, is it as secure as he claims, and what problems does it initiate?” 

“What method does he employ to gain further knowledge, does it really produce the desired understanding, and how is it related to science (then and now)?” 

“How successful are his proofs for the existence of a deity?” 

“Can he move from knowledge of the self to knowledge of others, and then to knowledge of the physical world?” 

 

Text: René Descartes, Discourse on Method [1637] and Meditations on First Philosophy [1641] (Fourth Edition), Trans: Donald A. Cress (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998)—ISBN (paper): 978-0-87220-420-1. 

 

Course Description:

 

Descartes’ Meditations is so accessible that it requires no prior study of philosophy, yet it provides the reader with an outstanding picture of this activity and its importance.  It also provides an excellent picture of one view of liberal education at that time in our culture.  The material is so rich that even the most serious scholars have critically discussed them for more than three-and-three-quarter centuries, and our discussions will devote time to many of these criticisms.  In addition to providing the opportunity for interested individuals to learn about Descartes and his philosophy, students will learn much about the philosophical activity in general, and the class discussions will show students what it is like to engage in this activity. 

 

Anticipated Course Schedule:

 

March 12--Week 1: Introduction to Philosophy, to Descartes, and to his age. 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class):

My “What Is Philosophy?” 

My “Introduction to Descartes.” 

Assignment for next session: read the “First” and “Second Meditations.” 

 

March 19--Week 2: Discussion of the “First” and “Second Meditations.” 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class):

My Supplements on the “First” and “Second Meditation.” 

Also see my Supplement on Augustine's "Cogito." 

Assignment for next session: read the “Third Meditation.” 

 

March 26--Week 3: Discussion of the “Third Meditation.” 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class):

My supplement to the “Third Meditation.” 

Also see my supplement "A Brief Note on Descartes, Eternal Truths, and Rationality." 

Assignment for next session: read the "Fourth Meditation.

 

April 2--Week 4: Discussion of the “Third” and “Fourth Meditations. 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class): 

My supplements to the “Third” and “Fourth Meditation 

Assignment for next session: read the "Fifth Meditation.” 

 

April 9--Week 5: Discussion of the “Fifth Meditation.” 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class):

My supplement to the “Fifth Meditation” 

Assignment for next session: read the “Sixth Meditation. 

 

April 16--Week 6: Discussion of the “Fifth" and "Sixth Meditations.” 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class):

My supplement to the “Sixth Meditation 

 

April 23--Week 7: Conclusion and Assessment. 

Supplementary materials and readings (may be read before and/or after the class):

My supplement to the “Sixth Meditation 

My Concluding Lecture Supplement. 

Midcoast Senior College Website

Bruce Hauptli Home Page

Email: hauptli@fiu.edu 

Last revised: 04/25/18.