PHI205   The Empiricists   (20 credits)

Description

This course aims to make students familiar with what Descartes, Locke, Berkeley and Hume wrote about knowledge, meaning and the mind; to arrive at accurate interpretations of these philosophers' views and arguments; and to relate their contributions to current philosophical debate. Taking these philosophers' major works (Descartes' Meditations, Locke's Essay, Berkeley's Principles and Dialogues, and Hume's Treatise and First Enquiry) in chronological order, particular attention will be paid to the following topics: philosophy and the Scientific Revolution; the nature of mind and of matter; empiricism and innate knowledge; primary and secondary qualities; whether words stand for ideas in the mind; identity and personal identity; and scepticism and idealism.

Reading List