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HU Credits:
4
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
Philosophy
Semester:
1st Semester
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Prof. Carl Posy
Coordinator Office Hours:
Wednesday 14:30- 15:30 Additional hours by appointment
Teaching Staff:
Prof Carl Posy
Course/Module description:
In the "Dialectic" of the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant shows how his system of “Critical Philosophy” and his Transcendental Idealism deal with the major metaphysical issues of his time, and argues that his system surpasses those of his philosophical predecessors and rivals. This seminar will provide an intensive reading of that text.
Course/Module aims:
• Master one of the central texts of Western philosophy
• Sharpen one’s ability to analyze and interpret historical texts
• Recognize the historical roots of many current philosophical issues
• Compare historical and contemporary philosophical methods and arguments
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
This seminar will examine the central themes and arguments of the “Dialectic”. The seminar will place Kant’s philosophy within the context of his own time; but it will also compare Kant’s philosophical views with views from contemporary philosophy (both analytic and continental) and show how each can be used in order to improve our understanding of the other.
Attendance requirements(%):
100
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
Weekly Reading assingments, in class lectures and discussion.
Course/Module Content:
List of Main Topics
1. Introduction:
a. Historical Background (Leibniz and Newton and their influence on 18th century thought); Introduction to the Critical Philosophy
b. The goals and structure of the Critique of Pure Reason
c. A survey of the “Aesthetic” and “Analytic” of the Critique of Pure Reason
d. The goals and structure of the “Dialectic”
2. The “Mathematical” Antinomies
a. The First Antinomy and its solution
b. The Second Antinomy and its solution
c. Remarks on 18th Century and Modern Scientific Thought
3. The “Ideal” and the concept of G-d
a. Criticism of the ontological argument
b. Logic and Existence
4. The “Paralogisms” in the First Edition
a. The first three Paralogisms
i. The notion of “Self” and its problems
b. The Fourth Paralogism and Cartesian Skepticism
i. Skepticism and idealism in Kant’s time and today
5. The Third Antinomy and its Solution
a. Theoretical versus practical reason
6. Summary and a glimpse forward (“Kantian” philosophy and contemporary Kantianism)
Required Reading:
Primary texts from the "Critique of Pure Reason" in translation.
Additional Reading Material:
Occasional secondary sources.
Grading Scheme :
Active Participation / Team Assignment 20 %
Attendance / Participation in Field Excursion 15 %
Other 65 %
Additional information:
1) Final grade will be determined by class participation and either a term paper or a home-examination
2) The language of the course will be Hebrew. However if there are overseas partcipants then the lectures will be in English, but the discussion will remain in Hebrew.
3) The course does NOT presuppose the instructor's prior course on the "Analytic" of the "Critique of Pure Reason". It is open to and will be accessible to students who have not taken that course!
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