Earlham College, Fall Semester 2000-2001
Tuesday, Thursday 10:30-11:50. Carpenter
323
Instructor: Ferit Güven
Office: Carpenter 331
Office Hours: Tuesday, Friday 2:30-3:30
and by appointment
Office Phone: 983-1399 (voice mail),
e-mail: guvenfe@earlham.edu
"Freedom, however, among all the Ideas
of speculative reason is the only one whose possibility we know a priori.
We do not understand it, but we know it as the condition of the moral law
which we do know."
Kant, Critique
of Practical Reason
Course Description: The aim of
this course is to analyze 19th century philosophy as the culmination of
modernity. One of the most significant traits of modern philosophy is the
rise of subjectivity and its relation to the question of freedom. Therefore,
even though this course is intended to be survey of 19th century philosophy,
we will concentrate on the theme of freedom in order to provide a focus
for our readings. We will trace important transformations in the philosophical
concept of freedom in 19th century European philosophy, particularly the
move from freedom understood as the exercise of a faculty (free will) to
freedom defined in the context of an ontology grounded in the subject.
We will start with Kant'sGrounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals. Some of you may have already read this
work, or already be familiar with Kant's philosophy in general. We will
use this text to introduce the problem of freedom in Kant and German Idealism.
We will try to understand the relation between Kant's theoretical and practical
philosophy (more specifically the relation between the Critique
of Pure Reason and the Critique
of Practical Reason) in light of the notion of freedom. Far from being
an exclusively practical question, the notion of freedom has significant
implications for Kant's theoretical philosophy. In short, we will engage
in a specific interpretation of the Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals
and will not simply repeat an introductory reading. After Kant we will
read Friedrich Schelling's Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom. This text (commonly
referred to as "The Essence of Human Freedom" or the "Freedom Essay") is
one of the most interesting works on freedom, one that tries to synthesize
the problems associated with freedom in Medieval thought with the insights
of Kant's critical philosophy. Through this text we will see the connection
between the notion of freedom and arguably the most significant trait of
German Idealism, namely the desire to reach a system. In this context we
will read Hegel's Philosophy
of Right as an attempt to articulate the possibility and structure
of a system. Finally, we will look at reactions to Hegel's system. Nietzsche
and Marx represent two ways of responding to the question of freedom in
light of (or against) Hegel's idea of system and his idealism.
Reading Assignments: (available in the Earlham College bookstore)
Kant, Immanuel. Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals, 3rd edition, trans. James W. Ellington,
(Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company 1993).
This course is mainly oriented toward
close readings and discussion of primary texts. I expect you to read every
text assigned for the week at least twice. Some of the passages we will
read are very difficult. Instead of getting discouraged, try to formulate
your difficulties in order to be able to discuss them during class sessions.
Requirements and Evaluation: You
are expected to write three short papers (4-6 pages) and one long paper
(10-12 pages). The short papers will be "explications
de texte" (an explanation or exegesis of the text). I will provide
topics for each assignment. These papers will be on 1. Kant, 2. Schelling,
3. Hegel. For the last paper you are encouraged to decide on your own topic/question.
This paper should have a broad perspective incorporating major themes and
ideas we discuss during the semester. It may compare and contrast two or
more thinkers, but I would prefer that you do this on a specific topic.
For every paper (including papers on topics
of your own choice) you are responsible for following the general guidelines
provided. (See "Comments and Suggestions for Papers").
Each student will prepare two "presentations."
These presentations will consists of two parts. The first part will be
a kind of "protocol." A protocol is a carefully edited summary/notes of
the previous class session written in full sentences. Protocols will be
1-2 single spaced pages and will be photocopied by the student who wrote
it and handed out to all students at the beginning of each class to be
read aloud, and will serve as a cumulative record of the course. In addition
to reviewing the material covered in the previous class, the protocol should
include announcements made in class, questions not addressed in class.
The best protocols will be those that do not simply reproduce verbatim
everything that was said during class, but those that rearrange the material
thematically, editing out what was unimportant, and emphasizing what was
significant. One of the advantages of the protocols is to allow you to
think during class, and not just take notes; because someone will be taking
notes for you, you can concentrate on the ideas being presented, and participate
without having to write constantly. Also you will have a summary of every
class which will help you with writing papers.
The second part of your presentation will
introduce us to the new reading for the day. The most important dimension
of this part of your presentation is to articulate the connections between
the material we covered in the previous class and readings we will cover
in that session. This presentation will include a brief summary of the
readings assigned for the day, and raise questions concerning this material.
I do not expect you to cover everything in the reading for the day. These
presentations are designed to initiate and maintain class discussions at
a high level.
Your grade will be calculated according
to the following distribution:
Paper 1:10%
There will be no final examination. Indeed,
there will be no exams in this course. However, in order to make sure that
we are doing the reading, I may give in class quizzes. The success of this
course is dependent upon your contribution. In order for all of us to have
a successful course your individual contribution will be needed. Given
the size of the class, missing a session will be very disruptive for all
of us. Consequently, you should feel a responsibility not only to me and
to yourself (for the sake of your grade), but also to your friends in this
course. I am not inclined to legislate strict attendance policies, with
the conviction that you will be mature enough to attend all classes. However,
if you miss more than three sessions you will fail this course. These are
the sessions you may miss, not that you should miss.
Office hours are for students to discuss
ideas, assignments and questions. You are encouraged and welcome to come
by my office or make appointments for times other than scheduled office
hours. You should take advantage of office hours and appointments not simply
to discuss your papers (you are obviously welcome to do that too) but also
to understand ideas, and texts discussed in class, or simply to discuss
your ideas.
Our sessions will start at 10:30 am. Students
are expected to come on time. Walking into the classroom while the session
is in progress is extremely disruptive for everybody; so is walking out
during the session. I ask you not to do these.
Calendar:
There may be some modifications to this calendar. It is your responsibility
to be aware of these changes. These changes may be announced in class.
If you miss a class you should make sure that you are informed about the
assignments for the next session.
Week 1: August 24: Introduction
Schelling, F.W.J.
Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom, in Philosophy
of German Idealism, ed. Ernst Behler, (New York Continuum, 1987).
Hegel, G.W.F. Philosophy
of Right, trans. T.M. Knox, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977).
Nietzsche, Friedrich. On
The Genealogy of Morals, trans. W. Kaufman, (New York: Vintage Books,
1989).
Paper 2:15%
Paper 3:15%
Final Paper: 30%
Presentation 1:10%
Presentation 2:10%
Attendance and Participation: 10%
Class participation and attendance: 10%
Week 2: August 29: Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals.
August 31: Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals.
Week 3: September 5: Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals. (Protocol for 29th an 31th)
September 7: Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals.
Week 4: September 12: Kant, Grounding
for the Metaphysics of Morals.
1st paper due: on Kant
September 14: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom.
Week 5: September 19: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom.
(Protocol for 12th and 14th)
September 21: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom.
Week 6: September 26: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of HumanFreedom.
(Protocol for 12th and 14th)
September 28: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of HumanFreedom.
Week 7: October 3: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom.
October 5: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom.
Week 8: October 10: Schelling, Philosophical
Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom.
(Protocol for 3rd and 5th)
October 12: Midsemester break
Week 9: October 17: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.
2nd paper due: on Schelling
October 19: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.
Week 10: October 24: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right. (Protocol for 17th and 19th)
October 26: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.
Week 11: October 31: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right. (Protocol for 24th and 26th)
November 2: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.
Week 12: November 7: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.
November
9: Hegel, Philosophy of Right.
Week 13: November 14: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.(Protocol for 7th and 9th)
November 16: Hegel, Philosophy
of Right.
3rd paper due: on Hegel
November
18-26: Thanksgiving Break
Week 14: November 28: Nietzsche, On
The Genealogy of Morals. (Protocol for 14th and 16th)
November 30: Nietzsche, On
The Genealogy of Morals.
Week 15: December 5: Nietzsche, On
The Genealogy of Morals. (Protocol for 28th and 30th)
December 7: Nietzsche. On
The Genealogy of Morals.
Final Paper: December 15