Room: Warren Lecture Hall 2207 Prof. Eric Watkins
Times: T& Th 12:30-1:50 Office: H&SS 8018
Term: Spring Quarter 2009 Office tel: 822-0082
Office Hours: Th 11:00-12:00 & by appointment E-mail: ewatkins@ucsd.edu

Phil 106: Kant

This course aims to investigate the philosophy of Immanuel Kant by reading through his Prolegomena and many of the most significant sections of his greatest work, the Critique of Pure Reason

I. Reading Assignments (subject to adjustment)

T 3-31 Introduction
Th 4-2 Prolegomena, Preface, First Part
   
T 4-7 Prolegomena, Second & Third Parts
Th 4-9 class cancelled
   
T 4-14 Prolegomena, Solution, Appendix
Critique of Pure Reason
, A and B Prefaces (99-124)
Th 4-16 A and B Introductions (127-152)
   
T 4-21 Tr. Aesthetic (172-192)
Th 4-23 Intro to Tr. Logic, Met. Deduction, & sections 13-14 (193-226)
   
T 4-28 Transcendental Deduction (245-266)
Th 4-30 Transcendental Deduction-cont.
   
T 5-5 Schematism (267-283)  
Th 5-7

General Principle of Analogies & First Analogy (295-304)

Paper Topic #1
   
T 5-12 Second Analogy (304-316) First Paper due
Th 5-14 Third Analogy (316-321)
   
T 5-19 Refutation of Idealism (326-329)
Th 5-21 First Antinomy (459-475, 496-528) Paper Topic #2
   
T 5-26 Second Antinomy (476-483, 528-532)
Th 5-28 Third Antinomy (484-489, 532-546) Second Paper due
   
T 6-2 Third Antinomy-cont.  
Th 6-4 Conclusion  
   
M 6-8 Take-home Final Exam (due at 11:00am)  


II. Texts:

Kant, Immanuel Critique of Pure Reason, edited and translated by P. Guyer & A. Wood, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Kant, Immanuel Prolegomena, edited and translated by G. Hatfield, New York: Cambridge University Pres, 2004.

Both texts should be available in the UCSD Bookstore.


III. Requirements:


1. Short Homework Assignments (totaling 20%)

Short homework assignments are posted on the course web-page and are to be filled out in advance and turned in at the beginning of class. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you are unable to attend class, you may send the homework assignment via e-mail (in advance), but no more than once during the quarter.

2. Either

A. Two Papers (4-5 pages) (15% each)

The papers are primarily expository in nature. They should identify the main claim(s) of the reading assignment and lay out clearly the structure and main premises of the argument(s) Kant develops for the claim(s). Late papers will not be accepted.

or

B. Term Paper (12-15 pages) (30%)

The term paper should be 15 pages in length. It should involve both primary and secondary literature. Term paper topics will not be assigned; instead, by the beginning of the 8th week (Tuesday, May 19) one must submit for my approval a 2-3 page description of the topic and what literature (both primary and secondary) will be discussed.

3. Final Exam (30%)

The Final Exam will be comprehensive and consist of a combination of short answer and longer essay questions. It will be a take-home exam, due on the day indicated above, and must be submitted to me via e-mail as an attachment (in Microsoft Word or rtf format).

4. Class Participation (20%)

Class Participation: This is not a large lecture course and the material is difficult, so class discussion is both possible and necessary. Class participation will be part of the final grade. One way to participate in class is to submit detailed reactions to and/or thoughtful questions about the reading (300 word minimum and maximum) in advance of the relevant class (via e-mail). 

 

IV. Miscellaneous:

The academic honor code will be strictly enforced in this class. Cheating will not be tolerated. Anyone caught cheating will receive an F for the course and will be subject to further disciplinary action.

If accommodations are needed for a disability or for religious reasons, please contact me as soon as possible.

The policies stated above are subject to change, at the instructor's discretion.