Undergraduate Course: Renaissance Philosophy (LLLI07008)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This is a for-credit course offered by the Office of Lifelong Learning (OLL); only students registered with OLL should be enrolled. Renaissance thinkers changed the way we think about ourselves and the world. The dignity of man, the value of the individual, the social contract we make to live with others, and importance of questioning and doubting received opinions ¿ these topics underlie the greatness of Renaissance philosophy, and underpin the great artistic achievements of the period, from Michelangelo to Shakespeare. |
| Course description |
Content of course
1. The greatness of the human spirit: Pico della Mirandola¿s ¿Oration on the Dignity of Man¿ (1486)
2. How to rule: Machiavelli¿s The Prince (1513)
3. Scepticism and belief: Erasmus¿ Praise of Folly (1511)
4. Designing a better world: Sir Thomas More¿s Utopia (1515)
5. Scepticism and the self 1: Michel de Montaigne¿s ¿Apology for Raymond Sebond¿
6. Scepticism and the self 2: Michel de Montaigne¿s ¿Apology for Raymond Sebond¿ (cont.)
7. Idols of the Tribe: Francis Bacon¿s New Atlantis (1624)
8. Connecting with the world: Descartes¿ Discourse on Method (1637)
9. Freedom of the press and religious toleration: John Milton¿s Areopagitica (1644)
10. The quest for political order in an unstable world: Hobbes¿s Leviathan (1651)
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
¿ Demonstrate an understanding of the basic tenets and development of Renaissance philosophy;
¿ Appreciate the special concerns of the age;
¿ Apply techniques of philosophical analysis to the works of art of the period.
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Reading List
Essential
Pico della Mirandola, 1486. Oration on the dignity of man. [online] Available at: http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/Mirandola/
Bruce, S., ed., 2008. Three Modern Utopias. Oxford: Oxford World¿s Classics. (for the More and Bacon works)
Machiavelli, 2003. The Prince. London: Penguin.
Erasmus, 2004. The Praise of Folly. London: Penguin.
Montaigne, 2006. An Apology for Raymond Sebond. London: Penguin.
Descartes, 1998. Discourse on Method and The Meditations. London: Penguin.
Milton, 2008. Areopagitica. Champaign, Ill.: Standard Publications.
Hobbes, 2002. Leviathan. London: Penguin.
Alternative/ online publications are also available.
Recommended
Kraye, J., ed., 1996. The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Humanism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hankins, J., ed., 2007. The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Web sources
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.seop.leeds.ac.uk/contents.html
Class handouts
PowerPoint presentations and key passages will be made available on a weekly basis.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr James Mooney
Tel: (0131 6)50 3077
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Sabine Murdoch
Tel: (0131 6)51 1855
Email: |
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