Universität Wien
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180094 LPS Reading Locke: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (2016W)

5.00 ECTS (3.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704) was a British philosopher, Oxford academic and medical researcher. His monumental An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) is one of the first great defenses of empiricism and concerns itself with determining the limits of human understanding in respect to a wide spectrum of topics. It tells us in some detail what one can legitimately claim to know and what one cannot. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, his contemporary, judged the work as "without doubt the most beautiful philosophical book" (contemporary readers may not always agree). -- After a general historical overview of the relevant philosophical problems of the late 17th century we will focus on three topics John Locke deals with in his work: His theory of ideas, his anti-essentialism, and the problem of personal identity.
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 45 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

An absence on October 11th will result in deregistration from the course. Should you be sick on that date, please contact david.wagner@univie.ac.at prior to class!

  • Tuesday 11.10. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 18.10. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 25.10. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 08.11. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 15.11. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 22.11. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 29.11. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 06.12. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 13.12. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 10.01. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 17.01. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 24.01. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Tuesday 31.01. 12:30 - 14:45 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This is an introductory reading seminar. Its aim is to give an overview of the historical situation at the end of the 17th century and introduce students to a detailed philosophical reading of John Locke's major work.

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance, regular timely upload of commentaries or excerpts (three days prior to class), presentation, participation in discussions. English will be a requirement, since the majority of the current research papers on Locke are not available in German.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

In order to get a positive grade you have to hand in ten short written papers (excerpts, commentaries) as will be explained in the first unit. If you give a presentation on one of the topics/chapters under discussion, the number of papers is reduced to nine. -- Attendance is mandatory, you may miss two course units. You will be graded on each part of your contributions to class, the written papers amount to 70 per cent of your final grade, 30 per cent are based on your participation in in-class discussions.

Examination topics

Reading list

All secondary literature for this course will be made accessible via moodle. These two editions are ones we will use in the seminar:

Locke, John (2006): Versuch über den menschlichen Verstand. 2 Bände. Übersetzt von Christian Winckler. Neubearbeiteter Nachdruck. Hamburg: Meiner.
Locke, John (1979): An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Hg. u. mit Vorwort v. Peter H. Nidditch. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Association in the course directory

BA M 2.3
§ 57.2.4. Lektüreproseminar
UF PP 06 Philosophieren Lernen

Last modified: Sa 08.07.2023 00:17