Course Syllabus

PHIL 5295 –MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Spring 2026

 

Day / Time:    T & TH 12-1:15 pm,  Campion Hall 10

Instructor:   Prof. J.-L. Solère, PhD

Email: solere@bc.edu

 

Course Description

From the early 17^th to the end of the 18^th century, reason asserted its autonomy and triumphed in the Age of Enlightenment, while at the same time reflected on its own limitations. Through a series of themes and problems, the course presents the major philosophies (roughly, from Descartes to Kant) that have accompanied the development of scientific knowledge, the rise of the modern mind, and the transformation of Western societies. This comprehensive survey covers metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy, paying attention to the interconnectedness between these different areas (with for instance the centrality of the notion of law: laws of nature, political laws, moral law). It particularly highlights the logical development in the series of questions and answers that characterize the development of philosophy in the modern era. 

The course will introduce you to the central concepts of modern thought and the foundations of today’s understanding of the world and of ourselves. Analysis of representative texts, class discussions, and writing assignments are designed to develop rigorous argumen­tation and expression skills.

(NB: This course was previously offered as PHIL 4406; you cannot take it if you took PHIL 4406)

 

Readings

Required books:

Roger Ariew and Eric Watkins, Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary Sources, 3^rd edition, Hackett 2019 (ISBN 978-1-62466-805-0).

Immanuel Kant, Groundings of the Metaphysics of Morals, Hackett 1993 (978-0-87220-166-8)

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, Hackett 1980 (978-0-915144-86-0)

John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration, Hackett 1983 (978-0-915145-60-7)

Some other primary sources are available on Canvas. They are to be brought to class on the appropriate days, either printed or downloaded or accessed online.

The Canvas site also provides various information and materials.

Helpful complementary readings can be found in the Routledge History of Philosophy, vol. IV: The Renaissance and 17^th C. Rationalism (O’Neill Stacks B770 .R38 1993 ) and vol. V: British Philosophy and the Age of Enlightenment (O’Neill Stacks B1302.E65 B68 1996 ).

Understanding the ins and outs of modern philosophy presupposes some knowledge of ancient and medieval philosophy, and mostly of Aristotelianism, against which modern thought reacted at its beginnings. If you are not quite familiar with the tenets of Aristotelian philosophy, I strongly recommend, as a minimum, that you read as soon as possible the entry “Aristotle” in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (online, free access through the library databases), sections 7-14 and 17-19.

 

Office Hours

Stokes Hall N 219, T-TH 2:30 to 4:00 pm, or by appointment.

I cannot respond by email to questions related to the subject matter of classes, but I’ll be glad to talk with you about it.

Class policy

Preparation: Texts assigned in the syllabus must be studied before the class. As a help, introductory readings in secondary literature are proposed in the syllabus, and study questions will be posted on Canvas. Two hours of preparation for each hour in class is a minimum. Texts must be brought in class.

Attendance: “Students are expected to attend classes regularly, take tests, and submit papers and other work at the times specified by the professor on the course syllabus. Students who are absent repeatedly from class or practica will be evaluated by faculty responsible for the course to ascertain their ability to achieve the course objectives and to continue in the course” (from BC Academic Regulations). Attendance is a basic requirement, not to be confused with class participation, which can earn you points (see below, “Grading”).

Class Behavior: Out of courtesy to the instructor, respect for the participation of other students, and to maintain a studious environment, I ask that you not leave the room during class except if you feel sick (in which case, let me know before you leave) or have a registered accommodation (see below, next item). Non-compliance with this policy will result in negative participation points that will affect your grade.

Disability Notice:  If you are a student with a documented disability seeking accommodations in this course, please contact the Connors Family Learning Center regarding learning disabilities and ADHD, or the Disability Services Office regarding all other types of disabilities, including temporary disabilities. Advance notice and appropriate documentation are required for accommodations.

 If you are feeling stressed, having challenges managing your time, sleep, or diet, the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) offers Individual and Group Health Coaching appointments with a trained Health Coach. Please reach out by going to the Health Promotion website or walk over to Gasson 025 and talk with a staff member.

Academic integrity: Plagiarism is a form of fraud and results, at a minimum, in failing the course, without prejudice to heavier sanctions. The definition of plagiarism includes not only turning in someone else's work as your own or copying sentences without the appropriate quotation conventions, but also paraphrasing (that is, changing the words while reproducing the sentence structure or the ideas of someone else) without giving credit to the source. This applies to any material found on the Internet.

See BC’s policy at:

www.bc.edu/bc-web/academics/sites/university-catalog/policies-procedures.html#tab-academic_integrity_policies.

For the appropriate forms of quotation, see www.plagiarism.org.

This applies to any material found on the Internet. You may use generative AI programs to brainstorm and find ideas, arguments, and references. However, the formulation of these elements in your essays must be your own. You are not allowed to reproduce in part or in whole text generated by an AI program; this would be plagiarism. If you include material retrieved by an AI program, it should be cited like any other reference material. Be aware that the material generated by these programs may be inaccurate, incomplete, or otherwise problematic. What an AI system answers is not necessarily correct; always double check. Be also aware that use of these programs may stifle your own independent thinking and creativity. 

Recordings: In keeping with state law and BC’s policy, students are not allowed to create video or audio recordings of the course — including Gen AI created transcripts — without permission from the instructor and the other students, or registered accommodations from the Disability Services Office or the Connors Family Learning Center. Even if authorized, recordings may not be reproduced or disseminated outside the class audience in any manner, and may not be used in any way that denigrates the instructor and other students and/or takes what they say out of context.

 

Grading

Three papers (all take-home): 100 points each. They assess the class expected outcomes: ability to discuss competently a philosophical problem, drawing on the arguments and views of philosophers; ability to write a well-structured and well-argued essay.

Class participation: bonus added to the average resulting from the 3 written exams (4 pts maximum).

Grades in this course mean the following:

            A: Exceptional work, unusual in how well it fulfills the assignment *

            B: Strong work that fulfills the assignment

            C: Good work that adequately fulfills most of the assignment

            D: Work that inadequately addresses much of the assignment

            F: Work that fails to address most of the assignment

Numerical scale:   D-  60-63     D  64-67     D+  68-69     C-  70-73     C  74-76     C+  77-79     B- 80-83    B 84-87     B+  88-90     A-  91-95*     A  96-100*

* “I urge you to … use these top grades only for truly outstanding work” (BC A&S Dean to the faculty).

 

 

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

 

Abbreviations:

AW = Ariew & Watkins, Modern Philosophy. An Anthology of Primary Sources.

Canvas = digital readings, to be found on Canvas (Modules > Scanned Primary Sources)

IEP = Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

REP = Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy online (free through library databases)

SEP = Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online

 

For each class, you must have at hand the readings of the day that are in HWW or on Canvas (i.e., the primary sources).

 

OUTLINES:

Introduction – Classes 1-3

Part I – Classes 4-10: A new philosophy for a new science: from the scientific revolution to the mechanist explanation ideal

Part II – Classes 11-19: The problem of knowledge

Part III – Classes 20-24: Political philosophy

Part IV – Classes 25-28: Ethics

 

 

Introduction

Jan. 13 – Class 1:  Presentation of the course.

Jan. 15 – Class 2: The scientific revolution, 1

Jan. 20 – Class 3:      The scientific revolution, 2

Michael Fowler: “From Galileo to Newton” (Canvas, section “Other docs”)

Jan. 22 – Class 4:  The scientific revolution, 3

 

Part  I – A new philosophy for a new science: from the scientific revolution to the mechanist explanation ideal

 

Jan. 27 – Class 5:      The mechanistic explanation ideal, 1

Descartes, The World (Canvas)

REP: “Descartes”, sect. 2 & 11-12

 

Jan. 29 – Class 6:  The mechanistic explanation ideal, 2

Descartes, Discourse on Method, part 5 (AW pp. 33-34); Fontenelle, A Conversation on the Plurality of Worlds, pp. 20-22 (Canvas)

 

Feb. 3 – Class 7:    The mechanistic explanation ideal, 3

Boyle, Corpuscular or Mechanical Philosophy (AW pp. 338-345); Newton, Principia, “Rules of Reasoning” (Canvas)

“Atomism” in The Galileo Project (http://galileo.rice.edu/sci/theories/atomism.html). – SEP: “Atomism from the 17th to the 20th Century”, sect. 2. – REP: “Boyle”, sect. 2 & 4

 

Feb. 5 – Class 8:  Mechanism, God, and Nature, 1

Spinoza, Ethics, part III, pref. (Canvas); part I, appendix (AW pp. 188-192)

REP: “Spinoza”, sect. 4

 

Feb. 10 – Class 9: Mechanism, God, and Nature, 2

D’Holbach, The System of Nature, pp. 17-32 (Canvas)

 

Feb. 12 – Class 10:  Mechanism, God, and Nature, 3

Newton, Opticks, query 31 (AW pp. 319-321); Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics paragraphs 19-22 (AW pp. 263-266)

SEP: “Newton’s Philosophy”; REP: “Leibniz”, sect. 11

 

Feb. 17 – Class 11:  Mechanism, God, and Nature, 4

Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics paragraphs 19-22 (AW pp. 263-266), cont’d

 

Part II – How do we know what we know?

 

Feb. 19 – Class 12:  A priori ideas

Descartes, Meditation 3 (AW pp. 47-52 [“… if such a being did not exist”], and 53 [“All that remains …”]-54a); Meditation 5 (AW pp. 58-61)

REP: “Descartes”, sect. 8-9. – IEP: "Descartes", sect. 2, 3, 7, and “Descartes: The Mind-Body Distinction”

 

Feb. 24 – Class 13:  Empiricism

Locke, Essay on Human Understanding, Bk I chap. 1-2, Bk II chap. 1-2 and 12 (AW pp. 346-359, and 370-372), Bk III chap. 3 (AW pp. 407-411); Bk IV chap. 1-4, 10-11, and 15-16 (AW pp. 416-451)

IEP: "Locke"

 

Feb. 26 – Class 14:  Rationalism, 1

Leibniz, New Essays on Human Understanding, preface (AW pp. 463-474)

REP: "Leibniz", sect. 8

 

March 3 and 5:  No class, spring break

 

March 10 – Class 15:  Skepticism, 1

Hume, An Inquiry concerning Human Understanding, sections I-V (AW pp. 582a [“But this obscurity…”]-601)

REP: "Hume" sect. 1-2. – SEP: "Hume" sect. 2-8

 

March 12 – Class 16:  Skepticism, 2

Hume, An Inquiry concerning Human Understanding, sections VI-VII (AW pp. 601-610)

 

March 17 – Class 17:  How is science possible?

Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Prefaces and Introduction (AW pp. 775-787)

REP : "Kant", sect. 3-5

 

March 19 – Class 18: A priori and a posteriori knowledge

Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Transcendental Aesthetic (AW pp. 787-795)

 

March 24 – Class 19:  The categories of understanding

Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, Transcendental Doctrine of Elements (AW pp. 795-803)

IEP: "Kant", sect. 4-5-6. – REP: "Kant", sect. 6-7-8

 

Part III – Political philosophy

 

March 26 – Class 20:  The birth of artificialism, 1

Hobbes, Leviathan (Canvas)

IEP: “Hobbes”, sect. 4b-c, 5, 6

 

March 31 – Class 21:  The birth of artificialism, 2

Hobbes, Leviathan (Canvas), cont’d

 

April 2: No class, Easter break

 

April 7 – Class 22:  The democratic contract, 1

Locke, Second Treatise of Government, pp. 1-51

SEP, “Locke, Political Philosophy”

 

April 9 – Class 23:  The democratic contract, 2; The dawn of tolerance, 1

Locke, Second Treatise of Government, pp. 52-83; Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration

SEP: “Toleration”; “Bayle”, sect. 4

 

April 14 – Class 24:  The dawn of tolerance, 2

Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration (cont’d)

 

Part IV – Ethics

April 16 – Class 25:   Ethics of the individual, 1

Hume, Enquiry Concerning The Principles of Morals  (Canvas)

REP: "Hume", sect. 10-11. –  IEP: "Hume. c: Moral theory"

 

April 21: No class, substitute Monday schedule.

 

April 23 – Class 26:   Ethics of the individual, 2

Hume, Enquiry Concerning The Principles of Morals  (Canvas), cont’d

REP: "Hume", sect. 10-11. –  IEP: "Hume. c: Moral theory"

 

 April 28 – Class 27:  Kant and the autonomy of practical reason, 1

Kant, Groundings for the Metaphysics of Morals, pref. and 1^st section, pp. 1-17

REP: "Kant", sect. 9-10-11

 

April 30 – Class 28:   Kant and the autonomy of practical reason, 2

Kant, GMM, pp.19-42 (“… to bring the moral law near the intuition”)

SEP: "Kant’s moral philosophy"

 

Tentative schedule for the exams (all take-home essays):

1^st:  after completion of part I, i.e. after Feb. 17

2^nd: after completion of part II, i.e. after March 24

3^rd: after completion of parts III and IV, i.e. after April 30