University of Maryland HEALL 498/ PHIL 401

University of Maryland JWST 417P/ PHIL 424

Dr. Charles Manekin

The Philosophy of Spinoza

Syllabus

N.B. There are two sorts of readings: primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources (i.e., Descartes and Spinoza) must be read before the class on the assigned date. The secondary sources can be read subsequently, but should be read. Guide to Abbreviations: Curley, A Spinoza Reader . CC=The Cambridge Companion to Spinoza, ed. Don Garrett; Bennett= Jonathan Bennett, A Study of Spinoza’s Ethics Cambridge University Press, 1984. Some other articles have skimpy bibliographical information. My plan is to scan all these articles (the ones that you not come from CC and send them to you in pdf format as attachments.)

1/29 Life, Works, and Contexts (especially Cartesian)

Primary Sources (=PS): Descartes, Principles of Philosophy, Book One.

Secondary Sources (=SS): W. N. A. Klever “Spinoza’s Life and Works”, CC, pp. 13-60.

2/5 Substance, Attribute, and Mode.

Preliminaries PS: Curley, 55-84

Curley, 85-100 (Ethics 1P1-20)

SS: Bennett, 55-75, Hallett, “Substance and Its Modes”

2/12 God or Nature

PS: Curley, 100-115 (Ethics 1P21-1.Appendix)

SS: Bennett, 81-124

2/19 Body and Mind.

PS: Curley, 115-137 (Ethics 2P1-P34)

Bennett, 125-149. Della Rocca, “Causation and Spinoza’s Claim of Identity”, History of Philosophy Quarterly 8 (1991), pp. 265-76.

2/26 Knowledge, Truth, and Error

PS: Curley, 137-152 (Ethics 2P32-2P152).

SS: Bennett, 153-185, Margaret Wilson, “Spinoza’s Theory of Knowledge” (CC, pp. 89-142)

3/4 The Psychology of Emotion.

PS: Curley, 152—197 (Ethics 3)

SS: Bennett, 253-281, Michael Della Rocca, “Spinoza’s Metaphysical Psychology”

(CC, pp. 192-266).

3/11 Morality and the Strength of the Emotions.

PS: Curley, 197-244 (Ethics 4)

SS: Bennett, 282-314. Don Garrett, “Spinoza’s Ethical Theory” (CC, pp. 267-314)

3/25 Human Understanding and Freedom.

PS: Curley, 244-242 (Ethics 5P1-10)

SS: Bennett, 315-328. Stuart Hampshire, "Spinoza and the Idea of Freedom."

4/1 Love of God, Blessedness, and Immortality

PS: Curley, 252-265.

SS: Bennett, 345-376. Dianne Steinberg, "Spinoza’ Theory of the Eternity of the Mind."

4/8 Prophecy.

PS: T-P Treatise, pp. 1-56.

SS: Michael A. Rosentahal, “Why Spinoza Chose the Hebrews: The Exemplary Function of Prophecy in the Theological-Political Treatise.

4/15 Philosophy of Law, Miracles

PS: T-P Treatise, pp. 57-92

SS: E. Curley, “Spinoza on Miracles,” in Boscherini (ed.)

4/22 Biblical Criticism

PS: T-P Treatise, pp. 98-164.

SS: Richard H. Popkin, “Spinoza and Bible scholarship” (CC: 383-407)

4/29 Make-Up Class for 11/25 Faith and Reason

PS: T-P Treatise, pp. 165-200.

SS: E. Curley, “Notes on a Neglected Masterpiece (II): The Theological-Political Treatise as a Prolegomonenon to the Ethics.”

5/6 Political Philosophy.

PS: T-P Treatise, pp. 20O-236.

SS: Curley, “Kissinger, Spinoza, and Genghis Khan” (CC: pp. 315-43).