Philosophy Department
Brandeis University
Phil 180b
Spring 2016
Phil 180b: Locke, Berkeley, and Hume
Who, When, and Where
Professor Jennifer S. Marusic
Tues. and Fri. 9:30-11:00 am
Location: TBD
Office: Mandel 112
Telephone: 781-736-3515
E-mail: jmarusic@brandeis.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 2-4 pm.
Course Description
What role does experience play in our acquiring knowledge? It seems natural to
think that we could not have knowledge about our environments without
experience. But does acquiring knowledge about math, about morality, and about
metaphysics also depend on experience in some way? Why or why not?
Empiricists are philosophers who hold that experience plays a particularly
important role in our acquiring knowledge about the world. Yet empiricists disagree
about just what role this is. Some empiricists hold that all knowledge is justified at
least in part by evidence acquired through experience. Yet not all empiricists hold
this; many deny that mathematical knowledge, for example, is justified by
experiential evidence. Other empiricists hold that the content of our thoughts and
the very kinds of thoughts we can think is constrained by experience. Such
empiricists will claim that mathematical concepts are acquired through experience,
even if mathematical knowledge is not justified by experience.
Our goal will be to think about what experience is and what role it plays in our
ability to make sense of the world and our place in it and hopefully acquire
knowledge about it. We’ll do this by focusing on the philosophical works of Locke,
Berkeley and Hume: the three most influential early modern empiricists. Students
will also be asked to reflect on their own experience and their own answers to the
questions that concerned Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.
We’ll also consider whether and to what extent Locke, Berkeley, and Hume’s
empiricism shaped their other philosophical commitments. Despite their common
empiricism, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume disagree on many other philosophical
questions. For example, Locke is a common-sense realist, who hopes that his
philosophy provides a metaphysical and epistemological foundation for
contemporaneous science, especially the mechanical science of Boyle and Newton.
Berkeley is an idealist, who claims that the very ideas of matter and material
substance are incoherent and the only things that exist are ideas and minds. Hume is
both a skeptic, holding that almost all of our beliefs about the world are unjustified,
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Philosophy Department
Brandeis University
Phil 180b
Spring 2016
and a naturalist, offering naturalistic explanations of very general features of human
nature. The question we will be concerned with is: How does the commitment to
empiricism lead these three figures to such different worldviews?
Topics to be covered include the origin and nature of ideas, knowledge of necessary
truths, including in mathematics and metaphysics, the possibility of having abstract
ideas, the primary-secondary quality distinction, real and nominal essences, the
nature of material substance, the reasons for our belief that there are material
substances, idealism, and skepticism about induction and causation.
Learning Goals
Students should expect to do the following:
 Gain a solid understanding of methods used in the history of philosophy,
including:
o Textual interpretation and analysis
o Reconstruction of arguments
o Tracing lines of influence across thinkers
o Critical evaluation of secondary literature
 Reflect on the relevance (or irrelevance) of arguments and views in the
history of philosophy for contemporary philosophical problems.
 Develop skills including:
o Learn to work collaboratively
o Learn to comment effectively on others’ work and respond effectively
to comments on one’s own work
o Present and discuss work orally.
Requirements
Students will be required to write three short papers of 4 to 5 pages, one on each
figure we’ll read. Students will write peer reviews of each other’s papers. They will
then select one paper to revise into a final paper of not more than 7 pages. The short
papers will be worth 30% of the grade and the final paper will be worth an
additional 30%. Peer reviews will be worth 10%. Participation and attendance will
be worth 3% of the grade. As part of the participation grade, students will be
required to complete one set of QTs (questions and thoughts) per week before class.
Grading
Late papers will be deducted one third of a grade (e.g. from a B to a B-) for each day
they are late. No assignments will be accepted more than one week late. If you need
an extension on an assignment, whether because you have work due in other classes
on the same day or for personal reasons, please ask me. I am willing to grant short
extensions, provided you ask for them at least a full day in advance. If you are unable
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Philosophy Department
Brandeis University
Phil 180b
Spring 2016
to complete an assignment on time because of an unexpected illness, please let me
know as soon as possible.
Attendance and participation are required. You should come to class prepared,
having done the readings in advance. You should bring the texts with you to class!
Readings
The required texts are:
Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.
Berkeley, George. A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge
Hume, David. Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding and Concerning the
Principles of Morals.
Laptops and Cell Phones in Class
I find that using laptop computers during class is often a distraction and can be
detrimental to discussion. I ask that you refrain from using a laptop to take notes,
unless you feel that this will hinder your ability to do well in the class. If you do
choose to use a laptop, please do not use your laptop for any purpose other than
taking notes. If I catch you using your laptop to write e-mail or surf the web, it will
seriously affect your participation grade.
Absolutely no cell phones or text messaging during class!
Academic Integrity at Brandeis
Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at Brandeis
University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently,
except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not
acceptable to use the words or ideas of another person without proper
acknowledgement of that source.
Violations of University policies on academic integrity, described in Section Three of
Rights and Responsibilities, may result in failure of the course or on the assignment,
or in suspension or dismissal from the University. If you are in doubt about the
instructions for any assignment in this course or about how to properly cite the
sources you’ve used, it is your responsibility to ask for help. If you have questions
about academic integrity, please do not hesitate to ask me, refer to the Rights and
Responsibilities Handbook, or contact the office of Student Development and
Conduct.
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