syllabus

Phil 3333 • Fall 2007
Metaphysics

Course Description

Metaphysics is the study of existence or reality at its most general. What does it mean to say that something exists? Does reality have a beginning and end? What are space and time? Does reality have a creator? Is there a single unified order or is reality partitioned into multiple realms that never interact? What is interaction -- what are cause and effect?

One objective of this course is to introduce you to some awesome issues about existence. Another objective is to equip you with some of the vocabulary and techniques of contemporary anglophone philosophy.

Policies & Grading

participation. You are to read the assignments and to think about them before coming to class, and you are to attend classes.
GRADED ASSIGNMENTS. For undergraduates: you will have five short reaction papers, 500 words each, worth 50% of your grade. You will also have a term paper of about 2000 words and then a final exam, each worth 25%. In addition there may be announced quizzes. For graduate students: the same as undergraduates, except that your term paper should be a research paper of 3000-3500 words, and you will give a classroom presentation of it. Additional details on all assignments will be given in class.
DUE DATES. Late work will be accepted according to the following schedule. Slightly late: if you submit a paper within one class period after it’s due, and if it’s the first time you’re late, it will automatically be excused. (For instance, a paper due on Tuesday will be accepted on Thursday without penalty unless you’ve used your "free card" on an earlier paper.) Moderately late: if you submit a paper within one week after it’s due, it will be graded down by one full letter and returned without comments. Very late: papers late by more than seven days will not be accepted. Note: the final exam date is inflexible.

Readings

Michael Loux, ed., Metaphysics: Contemporary Readings (Routledge, 2001).
Manuscripts by instructor, to be made available in class.
Recommended: Roy Sorensen, Brief History of the Paradox (available in non-textbook section of bookstore).

Schedule

Date

Topic

Readings

Notes

Week of Aug 21	"On What There Is"	ch 1, ch 3
Week of Aug 28	"The Identity of Indiscernibles"	Pt II Intro; ch 6	Paper 1 due Tues
Week of Sept 4	"Possible Worlds"	ch 10, ch 11
Week of Sept 11	"Counterparts or Double Lives?"	ch 12	Paper 2 due Tues
Week of Sept 18	"Personal Identity"	ch 22
Week of Sept 25	"The Dualist Theory"	ch 24	Paper 3 due Thurs
Week of Oct 2	"The Furniture of the Universe"	Saka
Week of Oct 9	Grad Student Presentations	ch 14
Week of Oct 16	Grad Student Presentations	ch 7
Week of Oct 23	"God"	ch 25	Paper 4 due Tues
Week of Oct 30	"Realism"	ch 26
Week of Nov 6	"Ontological Relativity"	ch 27	Paper 5 due Thurs
Week of Nov 13	"A Problem about Reference"	ch 28
Week of Nov 20	"Objectivity"	ch 18, ch 19	No class Thurs
Week of Nov 27	"Why?"	Saka	Paper 6 due Thurs
Dec 13, 11-2:00			Final Exam

Syllabus subject to change.
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