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Early Modern Rationalism: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz

Picture license: 
Public Domain/Out of Copyright

Can we discover truths about the universe by reason alone, without relying on sensory experience? According to the rationalist philosophers of the 17th century, this is possible. In this course, we will explore and discuss this suggestion.

Date created:

2012-04-18 16:15
Tutor: 
Peter Wyss
Subjects: 
Philosophy
Course type: 
Weekly class

Course: Further details, online booking

Resources for this course

Displaying 1 - 29 of 29
Type Resource Description People Full details
Document Handout 1, Biographical Overview

Selective and brief biographical overview of the period between 1596 and 1716. The lives of Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Slides 1, Schedule, Three Philosophers

Course Programme. Images of, and autographs by, Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 2, Rationalism: Four Distinctive Features

Some key characteristics of early modern rationalism explained, and illustrated with extracts.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 1, Knowledge

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the second meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Link PSR (Principle of Sufficient Reason)

Text in which M. Della Rocca defends the principle of sufficient reason (Philosopher's Imprint, Vol. 10, No. 7, July 2010).

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Link The Principle of Sufficient Reason

Encyclopaedia entry by Y. Melamed & M. Lin (Standford Ecyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010).

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Document Selected Bibliography

A selection of books, many of them available at the department's library.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 3, Descartes: Scepticism, Certainty, and Truth

Sketch of scepticism, Descartes's 'clear and distinct perception', and the truth rule.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 2, Ideas

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the third meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Link Early Modern Texts

Many texts translated into modern and plain(er) English by J. Bennett, available for download.

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Document Coursework 3, Substance

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the fourth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 4, Ideas: Representing the World

Information about the nature of ideas, with extracts.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 5, Substance

Three key features explained, and further information about 'complete things', bodies, and monads.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 4, God

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the fifth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 6, Locke on Substance

An extract from Essay 2.23.1–2 with study questions.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 7, Spinoza: Substance Monism

Reading support for Ethics I PP1–14.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 5, Mind and Body

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the sixth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 8, God: Descartes and Leibniz

Descartes causal and ontological arguments explained; information about the 'Cartesian Circle' and some points about Leibniz's philosophical...

Peter Wyss view
Link Interview on Spinoza

An interview (c. 15 mins.) with Susan James about Spinoza and the passions, touching on the geometrical method, God, freedom and politics.

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Document Handout 9, The Nature of Mind, Descartes's Dualism

Comparative information about what mind is and how Descartes argues for dualism.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 10, Mind and Body: Spinoza and Leibniz

Spinoza's parallelism and identity theory explained; Leibniz's theory of concomitance sketched.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 6, Freedom

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the seventh meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Coursework 7, Ethics

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the eight meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 11, Freedom and Determinism

Sketches of indifference and spontaneity, absolute and hypothetical necessity, and self-empowerment.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 12, Ethics: Living Well

Introducing Descartes's and Spinoza's ethics, in connection with the Reading and Handout 13 (not uploaded here).

 Peter Wyss view
Link Descartes's Ethics

Encyclopedia entry by D. Rutherford (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008)

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Link Leibniz's Ethics

Encyclopedia entry by A. Youpa (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2011).

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Document Coursework 8, Politics

Coursework sheet that accompanies the reading for the ninth meeting.

 Peter Wyss view
Document Handout 14, Politics: Justifying the State

Sketches of some key political ideas by Hobbes, Spinoza and Leibniz.

 Peter Wyss view