Cambridge Courses

NB: These courses satisfy requirements for the Philosophy major, the Philosophy minor, and also count as "Upper Level Credits" towards the B.A. and B.S. Thus, they are usefully applicable no matter what your major.

PHIL 426, Section 1 (3 credits)
BRITISH PHILOSOPHY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

The seventeenth century is generally regarded as the most tumultuous period in intellectual history. This is largely because of the advances in philosophy and natural science, and the way in which many of these advances conflicted with traditional religious beliefs. This progress, often referred to as the "Scientific Revolution," was in large part due to a number of philosophers from the UK. In this course, we will trace the development of that progress through a look at some of the most influential British thinkers: Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, Robert Boyle, John Locke, Isaac Newton, and others. The emphasis will be on ultimate questions about the human situation, and how the great thinkers of the past have dealt with such questions. In particular, we will ask:

What is the world like, and what is the human mind’s relationship to it?
What exists? Does God exist?
To what extent can science help us answer these questions?
What justifies political authority, and why should I obey the government?

Moreover, this course provides the opportunity to experience first-hand the cultural setting in which these thinkers were immersed. This will take place through numerous field trips aimed at supplementing the classroom material.

Course Texts (tentative)
Matthews, Michael R., ed. The Scientific Background to Modern Philosophy (Hackett, 1989).
Woolhouse, R.S. The Empiricists (Oxford UP, 1988)
Course Packet

This course is in many ways a natural compliment to PHIL 426: Bristish Philosophy in the Seventeenth Century. In this course, we will focus on the great British philosophers of the twentieth century. Many of our questions are similar:

Are religious beliefs and practices rational?
Do people have souls, or are they merely "machine-like" hunks of matter?
Are we even in a position to offer reasonable answers to such questions?
What shall we say about values and the practice of ethics in this world of scientific fact?

But other questions arise in the context of the twentieth century in light of philosophers' conviction at that time that it is to the workings of language that one should focus attention. Thus, additional philosophical questions arise by way of linguistic analysis. In this course, we will address these perennially interesting questions through an examination of the philosophers who resided at University of Cambridge. Cambridge is widely known for having a rich tradition of philosophy (especially twentieth century philosophy), and indeed has housed some of the most influential philosophers in the history of philosophy. We will examine the works of Cambridge’s finest, such as Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, G.E. Moore, and C.D. Broad.

Course Texts (tentative)
Course Packet

Students enrolled in the program have the option of taking this course for one credit at no extra cost. For information about this course, see the program web site at the Office of International Education.(Click on "Courses.")