Classical Modern Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction

382 Pages·2007·1.267 MB·English

by  Jeffrey Tlumak

Classical Modern Philosophy
Classical Modern Philosophyintroduces students to the key philosophers of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and explores their most important
works. Jeffrey Tlumak takes the reader on a chronological journey from
Descartes to Kant, tracing the themes that run through the period and their
interrelations. The main texts covered are:
Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy
Spinoza’s Ethics
Locke’s AnEssay Concerning Human Understanding
Leibniz’s Discourse on Metaphysicsand Monadology
Berkeley’s A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge and
Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous
Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding,ATreatise of Human
Natureand Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason,Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
Classical Modern Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction is the ideal textbook
to accompany a course in the history of modern philosophy, but each chapter
can also be studied alone as an introduction to the featured philosopher or
work. Jeffrey Tlumak outlines and assesses prominent interpretations of the
texts, and surveys the legacy of each great thinker.
Jeffrey TlumakisAssociate Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.
Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy
Series Editor:
Paul K.Moser
Loyola University of Chicago
This innovative, well-structured series is for students who have already
done an introductory course in philosophy.Each book introduces a core
general subject in contemporary philosophy and offers students an
accessible but substantial transition from introductory to higher-level
college work in that subject.The series is accessible to non-specialists
and each book clearly motivates and expounds the problems and positions
introduced. An orientating chapter briefly introduces its topic and
reminds readers of any crucial material they need to have retained from
atypical introductory course.Considerable attention is given to explaining
the central philosophical problems of a subject and the main competing
solutions and arguments for those solutions. The primary aim is to
educate students in the main problems, positions and arguments of
contemporary philosophy rather than to convince students of a single
position.
Classical Philosophy Philosophy of Religion
Christopher Shields Keith E.Yandell
Epistemology,Second Edition Philosophy of Science,Second
Robert Audi Edition
Alex Rosenberg
Ethics
Harry Gensler Social and Political
Philosophy
Metaphysics,Third Edition John Christman
Michael J.Loux
Philosophy of Psychology
Philosophy of Art José Luis Bermudez
Noël Carroll
Continental Philosophy
Philosophy of Language Andrew Cutrofello
William G.Lycan
Classical Modern Philosophy
Philosopy of Mind,Second Jeffrey Tlumak
Edition
John Heil
Classical Modern Philosophy
A contemporary introduction
Jeffrey Tlumak
R
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LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2007
by Routledge
2Park Square,Milton Park,Abingdon,Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,aninforma business
©2007 Jeffrey Tlumak
Typeset in Garamond and Gill Sans byTaylor &Francis Books
Printed and bound in Great Britain byTJ International Ltd,Padstow,Cornwall
All rights reserved.No partof this book maybe reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
anyform or byanyelectronic,mechanical,or other means,now known or hereafter
invented,including photocopying and recording,or in any information storage or
retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publishers.
British LibraryCataloguing in Publication Data
Acatalogue recordfor this book is available from the British Library
Libraryof Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Acatalog recordfor this book has been requested
ISBN10:0-415-27592-X ISBN13:978-0-415-27592-7 (hbk)
ISBN10:0-415-27593-8 ISBN13:978-0-415-27593-4 (pbk)
ISBN10:0-203-64242-2 ISBN13:978-0-203-64242-9 (ebk)
To my splendid daughter,Jennifer
My touchstone for what counts most
With my love and admiration

Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Descartes and the Rise of Modern Philosophy 1
1.1 Background to Descartes’ Meditations 2
1.2 Descartes’ innovations in how philosophy is
written 10
1.3 Lead-in to the First Meditation 13
1.4 The First Meditation 15
1.5 The Second Meditation 22
1.6 The Third Meditation 32
1.7 The Fourth Meditation 38
1.8 The Fifth Meditation 47
1.9 The Sixth Meditation 59
1.10 A summary of Cartesian commitments 66
1.11 Topical highlights from Descartes’ correspondence 69
1.12 Questions about Descartes 71
1.13 Transition to the remainder of the book 74
1.14 Some recommended books 75
2 Spinoza 77
2.1 Overview of Spinoza’s philosophy and life 77
2.2 Ethics Part I:On the nature of the universe 80
2.3 Ethics Part II:On the nature and origin of the mind 88
2.4 Ethics Part III:On the nature and origin of actions
and passions 95
2.5 Ethics Part IV:On the burdens of human existence
and the ways to overcome them 98
2.6 Ethics Part V:On the power of reason to liberate
us to live blessedly 100
viii Contents
2.7 Questions about Spinoza 102
2.8 Some recommended books 104
3 Locke 106
3.1 An overview of Locke’s outlook in the Essay 106
3.2 Essay Book I:Locke’s anti-innatist strategy 109
3.3 Essay Book II:Perception as the basis for all thinking 110
3.4 Test Case One:Thinking about power 114
3.5 Test Case Two:Thinking about substance 116
3.6 Test Case Three:Thinking about identity 118
3.7 Essay Book III:Expressing thought in language 122
3.8 Essay Book IV:Knowledge and opinion 125
3.9 Questions about Locke 128
3.10 Some recommended books 131
4 Leibniz 133
4.1 Background to Leibniz’s philosophy 133
4.2 Overview of Leibniz’s philosophy 136
4.3 How the Discourse on Metaphysics and the
Monadology are structured 138
4.4 Understanding Leibniz’s metaphysics by way of
his defense of contingency 141
4.5 Understanding the debate about what things for
Leibniz are substances 155
4.6 Understanding the debate about Leibniz’sessentialism 158
4.7 Understanding what it means for the world to
be the best possible 159
4.8 Understanding debates about relations among
key Leibnizian theses 164
4.9 Space and time as relations among phenomena 166
4.10 Key elements of Leibniz’s epistemology 169
4.11 Questions about Leibniz 171
4.12 Some recommended books 173
5 Berkeley 174
5.1 Overview of approach to the Principles 174
5.2 Structure of the Principles 176
5.3 A fuller analysis of four key arguments 180
5.4 Structure of the Three Dialogues 186
5.5 A mini-glossary to aid interpretation 189
5.6 Questions about Berkeley 190
5.7 Some recommended books 191
Contents ix
6 Hume 193
6.1 Main alternatives for interpreting Hume 193
6.2 An outline of the first Enquiry 195
6.3 Enquiry Sections I-III:Basic principles and
materials of the understanding 196
6.4 Enquiry Sections IV-VII:The basis for all
factual thinking 199
6.5 Enquiry Section VIII:Implications for freedom
and morality 201
6.6 Enquiry Section X:Implications for religion
based on miracles 205
6.7 Treatise:Overview and key elements of Book I,
on the understanding 208
6.7.1 A famous perplexity about how to read TreatiseBook 1 213
6.8 Treatise:Key elements of Book II,on the passions 221
6.9 Treatise:Key elements of Book III,on morality 225
6.10 Dialogues:Overview and stage-setting Part I 226
6.11 Dialogues Parts II-VIII:Design argument for
natural religion 230
6.12 Dialogues Part IX:Cosmological,a priori proof
of theism 232
6.13 Dialogues Parts X-XI:Evil as challenge to theism 234
6.14 Dialogues Part XII:Guides to deciding Hume’s
overall message 237
6.15 Questions about Hume 238
6.16 Some recommended books 242
7 Kant 244
7.1 The central strand of Kant’s argument 244
7.2 A précis of the Critique of Pure Reason 249
7.2.1 Prefaces and Introduction:Clarifying the project 250
7.2.2 Transcendental Aesthetic:How we receive data 254
7.2.3 Transcendental Analytic:How we understand data 258
7.2.4 Transcendental Dialectic:How we fundamentally
misapply thought 278
7.3 Exploration of pivotal stages of Kant’s argument 291
7.3.1 My general orientation to the Critique 291
7.3.2 A fuller analysis of introductory material 295
7.3.3 A fuller analysis of the Aesthetic 300
7.3.4 A fuller analysis of the Analytic of Concepts 303
7.3.5 A fuller analysis of the Analytic of Principles 312
7.3.6 The transition from the Analytic to the Dialectic 320
7.3.7 A fuller analysis of the Transcendental Dialectic 324