History 388: Great Personalities in History
“Adam Smith and the Philosophers”

Gregory S. Brown
895 – 4181; gbrown@unlv.edu
M, W, F 10;30 - 11:20; CBC C316

Dare to know!  Have the courage to use your own intelligence.  This is the motto of the Enlightenment.           -Immanuel Kant, “What is Enlightenment?” 

In this course, students will use their own intelligence learn about the “great personalities” of the eighteenth century known as the “Philosophers” and of their ideas that made up the Enlightenment – including Adam Smith, David Hume, Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.   

These authors laid the foundations for the American and French Revolutions and for the United States Constitution. In this respect, the Enlightenment might be considered the beginning of debates over important issues that continue to concern all of us today:

• Ø       individual liberty vs national unity
• Ø       reason vs. emotion and sentiment
• Ø       religious toleration vs. the need for moral authority in society
• Ø       progress and improvement vs. conservation of tradition 

Readings will include selections from the following, which are available in the UNLV Bookstore :

• ØMargaret C. Jacob, The Enlightenment; A Brief History with Documents
• ØIsaac Kramnick, ed., The Portable Enlightenment Reader
• ØMontesquieu, Persian Letters
• ØAdam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments
• ØJean-Jacques Rousseau, Basic Political Writings
• ØDenis Diderot, Rameau's Nephew/ D'Alembert's Dream

Each week, we will discuss the assigned readings during all three class meetings. It is therefore crucial that students keep up in the reading and come to class prepared for active discussion. Class discussion will account for 25% of the semester grade.

Students will also write three short (5-page) papers, based on the readings. Each paper will account for 25% of the semester grade.

Jan 22 - 25	"What is Enlightenment"?	Jacob 1 - 72 Kramnick 1 - 22
Jan 27 - 31	Reason and Humanity	Jacob 73 - 93 Kramnick 23 - 38, 190 - 202 Montesquieu, 37 - 41
Feb 3 - 7	Reason and Nature	Kramnick, 43 - 48; 51 - 60; 64 - 69; 73 - 74
Feb 10 - 14	God, Religion and Toleration	Jacob 94 - 121, 208 - 220 Kramnick 75 - 100
Feb 17 - 21	Deism and Materialism	Kramnick 101 - 105, 109 - 115, 134 - 150, 174 - 180, 202 - 209, 220 - 221 Diderot 149 - 234
Feb 24 - 28		First Paper Due Feb 28
March 3 - 7	Morals and Manners	Jacob 121 - 155 Kramnick 242 - 254, 275 - 280 Montesquieu, 48 - 41 Smith 1 - 60
March 10 - 14	Education and Culture	Kramnick 222 - 240 Diderot 33 - 125 Montesiquieu, 226 - 244, 265 - 268
March 17 - 21	Spring Break	No reading!
March 24 - 28	Origins and Nature of Society	Kramnick, 637 - 668 Jacob 160 - 176 Montesquieu, 52 - 66, 79 - 95, 119 - 165
March 31 - April 4	Development of Society	Rousseau 1 - 21, 37 - 60 Kramnick 356 - 363, 369 - 378, 387 - 394, 568 - 600 Montesquieu, 192 - 196, 202 - 220
April 7 - 11		Second Paper Due April 11
April 14 - 18	Civil Society	Rousseau, 60 - 81, 137 - 153 Smith 60 - 84, 112 - 132 Kramnick 405 - 415
April 21 - 25	Economy, Luxury and Morality	Kramnick, 491 - 515 Smith 133 - 138
April 28 - May 2	Politics and the State	Rousseau, 173 - 203 Kramnick 442 - 448, 469 - 473, 525 - 540
May 5 - 9	The Enlightenment Today	Postman, 7 - 98, 136 - 174
		Final Paper Due May 14