Descartes' Meditation on First Philosophy笛卡兒沉思錄

教學目標

閱 讀哲學名著是大學生學習哲學的最佳方式之一。笛卡兒的<<沈思錄>>是任何受過良好教育者必讀的書，也是哲學入門最好的一本經典 名著，西方國家的大學常用為大一學生哲學導論的教材。笛卡兒的<<沈思錄>>影響在他之後的現代西方哲學深遠。所有西方哲學史的 書都將這本書當成現代哲學的起點。笛卡兒開啟大陸理性論與英國經驗論二大傳統，也設定了心物問題 (the mind-body problem) 、懷疑論、上帝存在的本體論証等議題。一直到現在，全世界都難免受到笛卡兒思維架構的影響。本課將帶引學生詳細閱讀笛卡兒的<<沈思 錄>>全書，分析與討論六篇沈思錄的內容，引導學生直接接觸偉大哲學家的心靈，並藉以讓學生深入理解西方哲學的主要議題及思辯。

授課進度

Week 1　General introduction to Descartes’ life and philosophy I

Week 2　General introduction to Descartes’ life and philosophy II

Week 3　Meditation One: Concerning those things that can be called into doubt I

Week 4　Meditation One: Concerning those things that can be called into doubt II

Week 5　Meditation Two: Concerning the nature of the human mind: That it is better known than the body I

Week 6　Meditation Two: Concerning the nature of the human mind: That it is better known than the body II

Week 7　Meditation Three: Concerning God, That He exists I

Week 8　Meditation Three: Concerning God, That He exists II

Week 9　Mid-term Exam

Week 10　Meditation Four: Concerning the true and the False I

Week 11　Meditation Four: Concerning the true and the False II

Week 12　Meditation Five: Concerning the essence of material things, and again concerning God, That He exists I

Week 13　Meditation Five: Concerning the essence of material things, and again concerning God, That He exists II

Week 14　Meditation Six: Concerning the existence of material things, and the real distinction between mind and body I

Week 15　Meditation Six: Concerning the existence of material things, and the real distinction between mind and body II

Week 16　Final discussion: the influence of Descartes on the western world I

Week 17　Final discussion: the influence of Descartes on the western world II

Week 18　Final Exam

授課方式

本課程以授課老師的介紹與講授帶領選課學生的參與討論，希望藉由老師提綱挈領的介紹，引發學生對問題的更深層思考及討論。

每週除由教授從事兩小時之演講外，學生可自行與助教約定討論時間。

學生依進度閱讀指定材料。

指定閱讀及參考書目

Descartes, R. (2008). Meditations on First Philosophy: In Which the Existence of God and the Distinction of the Soul from the Body Are Demonstrated. Bnpublishing.com.

成績考核

就六篇沈思錄撰寫六篇簡短報告 (各3至5頁) ，每篇佔15%。
另10%為課堂表現。