Jonny Cottrell

Email: <jcott@yorku.ca>

Office Location: S404A Ross Building – South Wing

Office Hours (in person): T and Th, 1:00–2:00pm

This course will explore philosophical questions concerning the relation between appearance and reality, and concerning our ordinary beliefs about the real world.

We seem to live in a world of physical objects that are colourful, smelly, hard or soft, warm or cold, quiet or noisy, tasty or insipid, that take up space and endure through time. At least, that’s how it seems to our senses. But are our senses a reliable guide to reality? And how can we tell whether they are or aren’t?

We ordinarily suppose that the physical objects around us continue to exist when we no longer perceive them by means of our senses. For example, if I close my eyes when nobody else is around, the room around me does not pop out of existence, and then pop back into existence when I open my eyes again. At least, so I think. And we suppose that at least some of these physical objects would have existed, even if no creature ever perceived them.

We also suppose that the world far outstrips our own observations of it. Each of us gets to observe only a tiny portion of space and time. But we all have beliefs about regions of space and time that we did not observe, are not now observing, and will never observe. For example, I believe that there once were dinosaurs and a Roman Empire; I believe that there are now people, places and things that are out of range of my senses; and I believe that, come tomorrow, things will be much the same as they are today—it will still be winter in Canada, I will still be here in Toronto, the Earth will still be turning on its axis, and so forth.

How do we come by these ordinary beliefs: are they hardwired into our minds, from the moment of our creation; or do we get them from experience? Are these ordinary beliefs rational, or are they a non-rational upshot of our animal nature? If they are not rational, are they defensible in any way? And are any of these beliefs true?

We will explore these questions in the company of four philosophers of the long eighteenth century: John Locke (1632–1704), George Berkeley (1685–1753), David Hume (1711–1776), and Mary Shepherd (1777–1847).

Technical requirements for taking the course: Reading assignments and study materials will be shared via eClass, so you will need access to a computer or other device with internet access.

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.]

Times and locations: Meetings take place in person, twice a week:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays
• 11:30am–1:00pm
• Founders College, Room 104

The main readings by Locke, Berkeley and Hume are available freely at https://www.earlymoderntexts.com. This website will be linked via eClass. All other required readings, including selections from Shepherd’s works, will be distributed via eClass.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: Many editions of Locke’s, Berkeley’s and Hume’s works are available online. Please use ONLY the versions that I assign. Using other versions will, at best, lead to a good deal of confusion.

Assessment will be based on attendance; on six in-class quizzes; and on three written exams, two midterm exams taken in class, and one final exam taken during the final exam period. These components are weighted as follows:

Attendance: 10%

6 In-Class Quizzes: 30% (5% each)

Midterm Exam 1: 10%

Midterm Exam 2: 20%

Final Exam: 30%

This course takes place in person. It includes two weekly meetings, which will involve a mixture of lecturing and other activities. Reading assignments and study materials will be provided via eClass.

The main goal is to empower students to think philosophically about the topics we’ll cover, and about other topics they’ll encounter outside this class. The course will focus on teaching students how to think through these topics for themselves, not on teaching them what to think about them.

More particularly, this course aims to help students to…

• Recall concepts and distinctions that are crucial to the philosophical work of Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Shepherd, including idea, knowledge vs. opinion, innate vs. acquired, intuition vs. sensation, demonstrative vs. probable reasoning, primary quality vs. secondary quality, and others
• Explain these concepts and distinctions in their own words
• Explain some of the central philosophical views presented in Locke’s, Berkeley’s, Hume’s, and Shepherd’s works
• Explain some of the interconnections among these views
• Explain some of the relations between these views and broader philosophical issues that students will encounter in other courses
• Identify these philosophers’ arguments in support of their views
• Analyze the arguments they have identified
• Evaluate the arguments they have analyzed
• Write a cogent philosophical paper that presents this analysis and evaluation with clarity, concision, precision, and accuracy

Course policies

Laptops and Tablets: I allow the use of laptops or tablets for taking notes, and for referring to the assigned readings. But I do not encourage it. Instead, I recommend that you print hardcopies of the readings and bring them to class with you. In class, you can then focus on following the lectures and discussions; taking handwritten notes on the central points; actively raising questions when you find that you can’t follow the lecture or someone else’s contribution; and actively contributing to discussions yourself. If you must use a laptop or tablet during class, you may not browse the web or read/send text messages or other social media during our meetings. This kind of multi-tasking is hugely distracting to students sitting beside and behind you; it’s hugely distracting to you (even if it doesn’t seem to you like it is); and it’s rude and disrespectful to me and to your classmates.

Other electronic devices: No cellphones, smartwatches, or any electronic devices other than laptops and tablets are allowed in class. These devices must be silenced and put away before each meeting, and may not be taken out until the end of the meeting.

Generative AI: Generative AI may not be used to assist with the completion of any assignment in this course, including both reading and writing assignments.

Recording: You may not record our class meetings, or take photographs in class, without prior express permission from me and from the Philosophy Department. To request the use of assistive technology as an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility Services (see ‘Accommodations’, below). Please note that any recordings (i) should be used only for educational purposes and as a means for enhancing accessibility; (ii) may not be copied or distributed outside the class (these acts can violate not only copyright laws but also FIPPA); and (iii) must be destroyed after the end of classes.

Grading:  The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in undergraduate programs at York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments and tests will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade (e.g.  A+ = 90 to 100, A = 80 to 90, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.)

For a full description of York grading system see the York University Undergraduate Calendar - http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/2010-2011/academic/index.htm

Attendance: Attendance is required and counts for 10% of your grade (see above). Per University policy, you may self-report up to two periods of temporary absence during the term. For details, please see: https://students.yorku.ca/absences-and-missed-course-work. Your attendance grade will be adjusted, so that you are not penalized for absences that occur during a legitimate period of self-reported absence. Absences that occur outside of these periods will harm your grade, unless you provide supporting documentation, e.g. an attending physician’s statement.

Missed Tests: If you miss a test that occurs during a legitimate self-reported absence, then the Course Instructor will provide a suitable accommodation, to be decided on a case-by-case basis. If you miss a course test that occurs outside of any legitimate self-reported absence, and you have a documented reason for doing so, e.g. illness, compassionate grounds, etc., which is confirmed by supporting documentation, e.g. an attending physician’s statement, then you may request an accommodation from the Course Instructor. Further extensions or accommodations will require students to submit a formal petition to the Faculty.

Accommodations: If you need any accommodations, please register with Student Accessibility Services as early as possible: https://students.yorku.ca/accessibility

Also, please inform the Course Instructor of any accommodations that you need during class meetings.

Academic Integrity: York students are required to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty and they are subject to the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty: http://secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/academic-honesty-senate-

policy-on/

The Policy affirms the responsibility of faculty members to foster acceptable standards of academic conduct and of the student to abide by such standards.

There is also an academic integrity website with comprehensive information about academic honesty and how to find resources at York to help improve students’ research and writing skills, and cope with University life. Students are expected to review the materials on the Academic Integrity website at: http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity/