Dr. Jill Cumby
jcumby1@yorku.ca
Office Location:  TBA
Phone Number:  TBA
Office Hours:  In person: Tuesdays, 2:30 – 3:30

Virtual office hours: By appointment

This course is an introduction to topics in seventeenth-century European philosophy and presupposes no prior knowledge of philosophy. We will begin with an in-depth study of René Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy, in which Descartes argues for Cartesian Dualism, the view that the mind and the body are two completely distinct things. In the rest of the course, we will examine various consequences of and reactions to Cartesian Dualism in the seventeenth century.

Technical requirements for taking the course:

Lectures for this course will be delivered in person. Access to a stable, higher-speed internet connection and a computer/device with a webcam and microphone is needed to fully participate in this course.

eClass. Readings and communications will be posted on eClass.

TurnItIn. All writing assignments will be submitted via TurnItin. Students who wish to opt out of using TurnItIn should contact the instructor via email.

Zoom. Zoom appointments may be made to meet with the instructor outside of normal office hours.

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.

All texts will be available online via eClass.

For students who prefer physical texts, the following recommended (not required) editions can be purchased. These are the texts that we will be reading for at least two full weeks.

• René Descartes. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett. ISBN: 978-0-87220-420-1.
• Benedictus de Spinoza. A Spinoza Reader: The Ethics and Other Works. Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. Princeton: Princeton UP. ISBN: 9780691000671.

For students who prefer physical texts, the following recommended (not required) editions will be available from the bookstore. These are the texts that we will be reading for at least two full weeks.

• René Descartes. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett. ISBN: 978-0-87220-420-1.

Since we will be focusing on Descartes for approximately the first five weeks, students are particularly encouraged to purchase a physical copy of the Meditations. This edition is also available from the York Library website.

• Benedictus de Spinoza. A Spinoza Reader: The Ethics and Other Works. Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. Princeton: Princeton UP. ISBN: 9780691000671.

We will be focusing on Spinoza’s Ethics for two weeks. The Ethics is available online in a helpful hypertext edition (https://capone.mtsu.edu/rbombard/RB/Spinoza/ethica-front.html). But, since Spinoza can be particularly difficult to follow, students might find it especially valuable to have a physical copy. Note that this specific edition of the Ethics is not available from the York library website.

Weekly Reflections : 10%

Writing Assignments (2): 25%

Final Exam: 40%

Lectures and evaluations for this course will be held in person.

• To introduce students to some of the major ideas and arguments of seventeenth-century European philosophy
• To introduce students to techniques of philosophical analysis
• To develop students’ written philosophical skills

Course policies

Proper academic performance depends on you doing your work not only well, but on time.  Accordingly, assessments for this course should be received on the due date specified.  However, I will be providing a three-day grace period for each assessment (excluding in class assessments and final exam). No grades will be deducted for submissions that are within three days of the original submission date. So, for example, if an assignment is due on Oct. 1 at 11:59 pm, then no grades will be deducted for papers that are submitted before Oct. 4 at 11:59 pm.  Students do not need to contact the instructor to ask permission to submit papers within this grace period. Links provided on eClass for assignment submission will remain open until the expiration of the grace period. After this time, students who wish to submit late assessments will need to speak with me directly about their reason for not being able to get the assignment in on time. Permission will be granted, if at all, on a case-by-case basis.

Lateness Penalty: Assignments received after the three-day grace period has ended will be penalized 5% out of a possible 100% per day late (including weekends). Exceptions to the lateness penalty for valid reasons such as illness, compassionate grounds, etc., may be entertained by the Course Instructor but will require supporting documentation (e.g., a doctor’s letter).