Graduate Course Listing Fall 2009
Click here to see Spring 2009 Course Descriptions
Fall 2009 Course Descriptions
83202 01 (17978) Aristotle's Metaphysics
Loux
11:00-12:!5 TR
A careful study of metaphysical themes in Aristotle. Texts examined include Categories, Physics I-IV, Metaphysics I-IX and XII. Topics considered include substance, the categories, matter and form, causation, nature, change, place, time, being, essence, potentiality, actuality, and the unmoved mover(s).
Requirements: An extended paper on some metaphysical theme in Aristotle.
83253 01 (83253) Aquinas & Dualism
O'Callaghan
9:30-10:45 TR
Crosslist: MI 63344
An examination of the role of various dualisms concerning human nature, the soul, and the mind in the thought of Aquinas. These will mainly be considered from a historical and textual point of view, that is, reading the argments in their context, with a discussion in particular of the Augustinian Aristotelian background for the issues. But, time permitting, a discussion of the relation of Aquinas' position(s) to contemporary discussions of mind/body dualisms, and recent efforts to situate Aquinas with regard to those discussions.
83254 01 (TBA) Medieval Negative Theology
Gersh
12:30-1:45 TR
The course will begin by examining the historical background in ancient and later ancient philosophy (Plato, the Neopythagoreans, the Neoplatonists) of the theological and philosophical method which later became known as "negative theology." Having extracted a kind of definition from the historical survey, we will look at four major figures of the early Christian and medieval periods in greater detail, reading selected works or parts of works in English translation but also paying attention to the original Latin (or Greek). The authors and works will be: 1. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (On Divine Names, On Mystical Theology, On the Celestial Hierarchy), 2. Iohannes Scottus Eriugena (Periphyseon, books I-III), 3. Meister Eckhart (Parisian Questions, selections from biblical commentaries, selected German and Latin sermons), 4. Nicholas of Cusa (On Learned Ignorance, books I-II, On the Vision of God). The last part of the course will consist of a brief survey of the many other medieval writers who used the negative method, and also some notes on its influence in the Renaissance and later times. Knowledge of Latin will be useful but not necessary for the course. Written requirement: one final paper of ca. 20 pp.
83283 01 (17984) Early Modern Metaphysics: Modality
Newlands
3:30-6:00 R
This seminar focuses on modality Ð issues concerning possibility and necessity Ð in the metaphysical philosophical systems of several prominent early modern philosophers: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume. We will explore the sharp disagreements among these philosophers on a range of issues, including the nature and grounds of necessity and contingency, the scope of contingency, the strength of causal relations, and the connections between God and modality. We will also consider the roles of contingency and necessity in theories of Divine and human freedom, creation, theodicy, laws of nature, and philosophical explanations more generally. Additionally, we will also explore the relations between the Principle of Sufficient Reason, contingency, and the existence of God.
These issues will be discussed with an eye towards BOTH interpretative fidelity and their relevance to discussions in contemporary metaphysics and philosophy of religion. We will read both primary and secondary material. Auditors are also welcome
83284 01 (17985) Hegel
Rush
6:15-8:45 T
This course is an examination of major themes in Hegel's philosophy with an emphasis on his social and political thought. Topics include: Hegel's general account of concepts and conceptual change, the doctrine of 'ethical substance', his critique of 'morality', his analysis of domination and recognition, and the role of freedom in rational social and political institutions.
Required texts:
1. Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, trans. Miller. Oxford UP.
2. Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, trans. Nisbet. Cambridge UP.
3. Neuhouser, Foundations of Hegel's Social Theory. Harvard UP.
4. Wood, Hegel's Ethical Thought. Cambridge UP.
5. Xerox packet (available at Decio Copy Center).
83601 01 (12548) 20th Century Ethics
Solomon
3:00-5:30 M
A survey of a number of central positions and issues in contemporary ethical theory. The course will begin with an examination of the main metethical positions developed from 1903 to 1970 - intuitionism, emotivism, prescriptivism and the various forms of ethical naturalism.
This material will provide a background for a discussion of issues arising from the more recent revival of classical normative theory. Final readings have not yet been chosen, but will likely include selections from Moore, Ross, Prichard, Stevenson, Hare, Foot, Anscombe, Rawls, MacIntyre, Parfit, Scheffler, Nagel, Donagan, and Williams.
83801 01 (12475) Philosophy of Science
Howard
2:00-3:15 TR
Crosslist: GSC 63501 (16553), HPS 83801 (13970)
A survey of major problems, movements, and thinkers in twentieth-century philosophy of science. The course begins with a look at the historical background to logical empiricism, its rise to prominence, and its early critics, such as Popper. After a study of major problems in the neo-positivist tradition, such as confirmation, explanation, and the nature of scientific laws, historicist critiques of neo-positivism, chiefly Kuhn's will be studied next, followed by a consideration of the realism-instrumentalism debate. The course concludes with a brief look at new perspectives, such as social constructivism and feminist philosophy of science.
Requirements: Students will write mid-term and final essay examinations and a fifteen-page term paper on a topic to be chosen in consultation with the instructor.
Readings: Thomas S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1970. Additional readings will be contained in a course packet.
83901 01 (11287) Intermediate Logic
Blanchette
9:00-10:15 WF
Crosslist: PHIL 43907
This course is an introduction to the metatheory of first-order logic. We begin with some basic set theory, and move on to the fundamentals of first-order metatheory, including the completeness, compactness, and Löwenheim-Skolem theorems. There will be frequent homework and one or more exams. Though no particular logical background is presupposed, this course is naturally taken after Phil 30313 or equivalent.
93402 01 (17988) Christian Theism & Problems of Philosophy
Plantinga
1:30-2:45 MW
Is there such a thing as Christian philosophy? How should a Christian's Christianity be related to her practice as a philosopher? To her conclusions as a philosopher? If among your reasons for accepting a philosophical thesis is some item of Christian belief, does it follow that your conclusion is theology rather than philosophy? How, if at all, does Christian belief, in particular Christian theism, bear on the traditional concerns of philosophers in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of logic, philosophy of mind, and so on? These are some of the questions and topics to be explored in this course. We'll begin by reading the merest smidgin of the church fathers, then some Gilson, then consider the bearing of certain common views of faith and reason on these questions, and then turn to more specific questions in epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophical anthropology. In addition to the Gilson, and other handouts, we will use Michael Beaty's collection, Christian Theism and Problems of Philosophy.
This course will be exploratory rather than definitive and active student participation will be encouraged– indeed, required. There will be several short papers and a longer (15-20 pages) paper.
93507 01 (17991) Topics in Philosophy of Mind
Speaks
3:30-6:00 T
We will focus on a variety of topics in the philosophy of perception, including: whether perceptual experiences have content; what sorts of things those contents might be; what sorts of things are represented in perceptual experience; the relation between representational content and phenomenal character; the possibility of spectrum inversion (or spectrum shift) without misrepresentation; the relationship between perceptual representation and attention; whether the content of perception is conceptual or nonconceptual, and what either might mean; and the relationship between perceptual representation and representation in thought and language.
93521 01 (17994) Metaontology
Rea
9:00-11:30 M
Are debates in metaphysics substantive, or are they merely verbal disputes? Do ontological questions have determinately true answers? Do believers in universals, artifacts, numbers, and so on genuinely disagree with philosophers who say that they don’t believe in such things, or have both parties to the “dispute” simply chosen to use their existential quantifiers in different ways? These and related questions are among the central questions in the growing literature on metaontology. In this course we’ll look at some of the most recent work on this important topic in contemporary metaphysics. The textbook for the course will be David Chalmers, et. al. (eds.), Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology, along with a variety of recent articles.
93811 01 (18000) History of Philosophy of Science to 1750
Joy
1:30-2:45 MW
Crosslist: HPS 93811 (18001), MI 63366
This seminar focuses on changing conceptions of nature and of scientific knowledge from the Presocratics to the Enlightenment. It examines the origins of these conceptions in ancient Greek and Hellenistic thought and asks what happened to them in medieval and modern natural philosophy. Besides the earlier texts, we will discuss works by Descartes, Boyle, Newton, and Hume.
Requirements: Seminar requirements include class presentations and two medium-length papers.
93871 01 (18003) Historical and Conceptional Foundations of Space Time Theory
Brading
11:45-1:00 MW
Crosslist: HPS 93871 (18004)
This seminar is an historically organized examination of major issues in the philosophical foundations of space-time theory. The roots of many contemporary debates are found in the spatial and temporal framework introduced by Newton to solve problems in the Cartesian theory of motion and the newly emerging theory of dynamics. We begin with a brief review of this historical background, before turning our attention to the main topics of this course: Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity. We consider the advent of these in their historical context, the contemporary reaction to both theories, and the present day situation. Key conceptual issues, such as conventionality of simultaneity, the ‘hole argument’, and the significance of general covariance, will be considered from both a historical and a modern-day perspective. Reading will include both primary and secondary sources. The course will not assume advanced training in physics. Each member of the seminar will be expected to present material to the seminar and to write a term paper on some topic arising from the readings or seminar discussions.
93917 01 (18005) Philosophy of Mathematics: 19th & Early 20th Century
Detlefsen
12:30-1:45 TR
The seventeenth and nineteenth centuries were quite likely the centuries of greatest achievement in mathematics. They were also centuries of great vigor in foundational thinking. The aims of this course are (i) to acquaint the student with the leading themes and projects of nineteenth century foundational thought, (ii) to relate these to the mathematics and philosophy of the day and of former times and (iii) to consider the effects they had on twentieth century developments. Among the figures whose ideas will concern us are Bolzano, Dedekind, Frege, Hilbert and Brouwer.
The course will be a mixture of lecture and discussion and will include lectures by visiting international experts on the topics and figures covered in the course.
Requirements include one in-class presentation and a course paper for regularly enrolled students. The requirement for auditors and students taking the course for S/U grading will be one two page paper from a Short Topics list to be distributed at the beginning of the course.
96697 01 (11020) Directed Readings
Holloway
96697 02 (10953) Directed Readings
Holloway
98698 01 (TBA) Graduate Research Seminar
Blanchette
5:00pm-7:00pm M
The Graduate Research Seminar is a forum for students to present work in progress, or completed research; to comment on others' work; and to engage in discussion of their own and others' work.
98699 01 (11942) Research and Dissertation
Holloway
98700 01 (11943) Nonresident Dissertation Research
Holloway