Cambridge University Reporter

Philosophy Tripos, 2010: Prescribed texts and subjects

The Faculty Board of Philosophy give notice that the following texts and subjects are prescribed for the Philosophy Tripos in 2010:

Part Ia

Paper 4. Set texts
Plato, Meno; Hume, Dialogues concerning natural religion; J. S. Mill, On Liberty; J. S. Mill, The subjection of women.

Part Ib

Paper 4. History of ancient philosophy
Section A: Plato, The Republic
Analysis and defence of justice (I-IV).
Moral psychology (IV, VIII-IX).
Power: the critique of democracy; women in the state (V-VI).
Philosopher-rulers (V-VII).
The critique of the arts (II-III and X).

Section B: Aristotle, Nicomachean ethics
Happiness (eudaimonia); the analysis of happiness (I, 1-7); happiness and fortune (I, 8-11); practical and intellectualist conceptions (X, 7-8).
The analysis of moral virtue and the distinction between virtue and continence (encrateia) (II-IV & VII, 1-10); moral character and responsibility; justice as a virtue (V); the nature of practical wisdom and the interdependence of practical wisdom and moral virtue (VI).
Acrasia (VII, 1-10).
Friendship: the varieties of friendship; self-love and egoism (VIII, 1-5; IX 4, 7-9).

Paper 5. History of modern philosophy
Boethius, Consolation of philosophy, Book 5.
William Ockham, Predestination, God's foreknowledge, and future contingents.
Descartes, Meditations on first philosophy.
Leibniz, Discourse on metaphysics and The monadology.
Locke, Essay concerning human understanding.
Berkeley, The principles of human knowledge and Three dialogues between Hylas and Philonous.
Hume, Treatise of human nature, Book I and Appendix.

Part II

Paper 1. Metaphysics
Wittgenstein, Tractatus logico-philosophicus.
Candidates also taking Paper 9 may not answer questions in this paper on Wittgenstein's Tractatus which will be marked with an asterisk. The paper will be set in such a way that there are at least ten questions not marked with an asterisk.

Paper 2. Philosophy of mind (reintroduced for 2010)
Wittgenstein, Philosophical investigations.
Candidates also taking Paper 9 may not answer questions in this paper on Wittgenstein's Philosophical investigations, which will be marked with an asterisk. The paper will be set in such a way that there are at least ten questions not marked with an asterisk.

Paper 3. Ethics
Kant, Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals.

Paper 4. History of modern philosophy
Kant, Critique of pure reason to the end of the Transcendental Dialectic (A704, B732).
Hegel, The Phenomenology of spirit, Introduction, Consciousness, Self-consciousness (paragraphs 73-230); Hegel's Logic: being part of the Encyclopaedia of the philosophical sciences, paragraphs 1-111; Introduction to lectures on the philosophy of history, as far as (but not including) The geographical basis of world history.
Nietzsche, On the genealogy of morality, The gay science, The birth of tragedy, Beyond good and evil.

Paper 9. Special subject specified by the Faculty Board
In 2010: Wittgenstein
  Tractatus
  Philosophical investigations
  On certainty
Study of the following topics is also included: the development throughout Wittgenstein's work of his views on: solipsism and the self; the nature of philosophy.
Candidates taking this paper are barred from answering questions on the Tractatus in Paper 1, Metaphysics and asterisked questions in Paper 2, Philosophy of mind.

Paper 11. Aesthetics
Plato, Ion, Symposium, and Republic (Books II, III, X).
Hume, 'On the standard of taste' in Essays, moral, political, and literary.