Date to be discussed

Reading (Links to study questions)

Wednesday, Jan. 31

Introductory session

Friday, Feb. 2

Blackburn , Think, Introduction, pp.1-13

Monday, Feb. 5

Plato, Euthyphro

Wednesday. Feb. 7

Plato, Apology

Friday, Feb. 19

Plato, Crito

Monday, Feb. 12

Plato, Meno

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Plato, Phaedo (1^st half)

Friday, Feb. 16

Plato, Phaedo (2^nd half) 

Monday, Feb. 19

Descartes, Meditations 1 and 2; Blackburn , pp. 15-21; 1^st paper due

Wednesday, Feb. 21

Blackburn , pp. 22-32 (catch-up)

Friday, Feb. 23

Descartes, Meditation 3; Blackburn , pp. 32-37

Monday, Feb. 26

Descartes, Meditation 4 (just through AT 54, i.e., the first three paragraphs); Blackburn , pp. 37-48; Hume, Enquiry, Section XII, just the first two pages;

Wednesday, Feb. 28

Descartes, AT 78 and AT 86 in Meditation 6 (two paragraphs containing arguments for the separateness of mind and body); Blackburn , Chapter 2, pp. 49-65

Friday, March 2

Blackburn , Chapter 2, pp. 65-80

Monday, March 5

Blackburn , Chapter 3, pp. 81-99

Wednesday, March 7

Hume, Enquiry, Section VIII, "Of Liberty and Necessity"

Friday, March 9

Blackburn , Chapter 3, pp. 100-119

Monday March 12

Blackburn , Chapter 4

Wednesday, March 14

Review

Friday, March 16

Mid-term Exam

March 17-25

Spring Break

Monday, March 26

Blackburn , Chapter 6, pp. 211-217: Hume, Enquiry, Sections IV and V

Wednesday, March 28

Blackburn , Chapter 6, pp. 225-232; handout on T.S. Kuhn and the problem of relativism

Friday, March 30

Hume, Enquiry, Section XII

Monday, April 2

Blackburn , Chapter 5, pp. 149-158; Descartes, Meditation 5, AT 65-68

Wednesday, April 4

Blackburn, Chapter 5, pp. 159-168 ; Hume, Enquiry, Section XI, "Of Divine Providence ..."

Friday, April 6

No class   

Monday, April 9

Blackburn , Chapter 5, pp. 168-176; Descartes, Meditation IV

Wednesday, April 11

Blackburn , Chapter 5, pp. 176-185; Hume, Enquiry, Section X, "Of Miracles"

Friday, April 13

Blackburn , Chapter 5, pp. 189-192; Articles on faith by Taylor and Scriven (handout)

Monday, April 16

Selections from Aristotle and Burke justifying inequality and hierarchical social relations (online here and here)

Wednesday, April 18

Selections from Hobbes (online here)

Friday, April 20

Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chapters II and III; editor’s introduction, vii to xvi

Monday, April 23

Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chapter V; editor’s introduction, xvi to xix

Wednesday, April 25

Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Chapters IX and XI; editor’s introduction, xix to xxi Notes on Locke

Friday, April 27

"Equality, Value, and Merit" by F. A. Hayek (online here)

Monday, April 30

Selections from Equality by R. H. Tawney (online here)

Wednesday, May 2

"Rawls' Defense of the Liberal Democratic Welfare State" by Stephen Nathanson (online here)   Notes on Rawls

Friday, May 4

Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Sections 77-82 (pp. 42-44)  Selections from  Rousseau (online here), and notes on Mill  (from the University of Middlesex (UK)--online here

Monday, May 7

“After the Family Wage” by Nancy Fraser (online: on-campus link ; off-campus link -- sign in with your Netmail username and password); paper due: assignment here

Wednesday, May 9

“Equality in a Multicultural Society” by Bhikhu Parekh (online here)

Friday, May 11

Review Possible exam questions

Wednesday, May 16, 10:00AM 

Final Exam (in our regular classroom) for section 5 (which normally meets at 11:30) Possible exam questions

Tuesday, May 15, 2:45PM

Final Exam (in our regular classroom) for section 6 (which normally meets at 12:40)  Possible exam questions