2 Office Hours My office hours are W from 11am to 1pm and Th from 3:15 to 5pm in 519 Smith Hall. I am also on campus at other times, and you can make

Transcription

1 METAPHYSICS (SPRING 2012) PHIL Class Number Stein Hall M-T-Th 11-11:50am Andrea Borghini url: Course Description The course will address the main facets of one of the hardest and most poignant philosophical questions: What is there, really? This is an introductory course, and no previous knowledge of philosophical texts and issues is required to enroll. Divided into four sections, the course is structured as a series of lectures during which students participation is highly encouraged. New readings are assigned for each class. Structure and Course Requirements Readings, Class Participation and Moodle Postings: You will be expected to complete the assigned readings before the class for which they are assigned, to bring the texts under discussion with you to class, and to come to class prepared to discuss them. For some topics, I may open a discussion tread on the Moodle website for the course; when I will do so, I will notify you by and give you a deadline by when to answer to the tread (typically, you should post an answer to the tread no later than 1am of the day of the class; e.g.: for a class on Tuesday, January 26, 11am you should post an answer no later than Tuesday, January 26, 1am); your answer will count towards participation. Attendance: The only grounds for which absences will be excused are religious holidays, family crises, illness, or athletic competitions (which does not include athletic training.) If you must miss class, it is expected that you personally provide me with an explanatory note; also, an absence due to the last three reasons must be accompanied by a note from a dean or a doctor. Finally, if you have scheduling conflicts, please come see me. Written Assignments: words each. During the semester, I will post eight assignments on Moodle: each student should do four of them, two among assignments #1-4 and two among #5-8. More will be said in class regarding what I am expecting from the assignments. See the schedule for the exact dates when they are due. Final Paper: 1800 to 2000 words. The paper should be typed in Times New Roman, size 12 font, double-spaced, and all the page margins should measure one inch. Paper topics will be distributed one week to ten days in advance. I will give out detailed instructions regarding papers later in the semester. Grade Breakdown: Written Assignments: 60% (15% each) Final Paper: 30% (10% draft, 20% final version) Participation: 10% Please be advised: In order to pass the class you are required to do all the coursework (e.g. completing one out of two papers will result in failing the class). Late papers incur in a penalty of one third of a letter grade per day (e.g. from A to A-). Finally, plagiarism, cheating, and collusion, in any form, will not be tolerated, in accordance with the Student Handbook.

2 2 Office Hours My office hours are W from 11am to 1pm and Th from 3:15 to 5pm in 519 Smith Hall. I am also on campus at other times, and you can make an appointment to see me by (aborghin@holycross.edu.) Please don t hesitate to get in touch with me about any aspect of the course.

3 Tentative Schedule Week (T) Introduction 3 SECTION I: MINDS OR BODIES? 1.26 (Th) Descartes on mind-body dualism Ø Descartes, Meditations, Meditations I and II Week (M) Descartes on mind-body dualism Ø Descartes, Meditations, Meditations I and II (T) Descartes on mind-body dualism Ø Descartes, Meditations, Meditation VI (Th) Elizabeth s objections Ø Descartes-Elizabeth of Bohemia, Correspondence, Week (M) Developments of Cartesianism: Leibniz and Hume Ø Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics, sections (pp.17-20) Ø Hume, Treatise on Human Nature, Book I, Part 4, Section 6 Assignment #1 2.7 (T) Developments of Cartesianism: Kant Ø Kant, Prolegomena, The Psychological Idea (sections 46-49, pp ) (Th) Eating as a philosophical paradigm Ø Professor s notes SECTION II: INDIVIDUALS AND PROPERTIES Week (M) Individuals and Properties Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 1: (1998) (Moodle) Assignment #2

4 2.14 (T) Realism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 1, 23-end (1998) (Moodle) (Th) Realism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 1, 23-end (1998) (Moodle) Week (M) Nominalism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 2 (1998) (Moodle) Assignment # (T) Nominalism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 2 (1998) (Moodle) 2.23 (Th) Bundle Theory Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 3: (1998) (Moodle) Week (M) Bundle Theory Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 3: (1998) (Moodle) Assignment # (T) Substratum Theory Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 3: 111-end (1998) (Moodle) 3.1 (Th) Substratum Theory Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 3: 111-end (1998) (Moodle) Week (M) ACADEMIC HOLIDAY 3.6 (T) ACADEMIC HOLIDAY 3.8 (Th) ACADEMIC HOLIDAY Week (M) Presentism and Eternalism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 6: (1998) (Moodle) 3.13 (T) Endurantism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 6: 212-end (1998) (Moodle) 3.15 (Th) Perdurantism Ø Loux, Metaphysics, Chapter 6: 212-end (1998) (Moodle)

5 5 SECTION III: PROPERTIES AND KINDS Week (M) What Is a Natural Kind? Ø Koslicki, "Natural Kinds and Natural Kinds Terms" (2008) (Moodle) Assignment # (T) What Is a Natural Kind? Ø Koslicki, "Natural Kinds and Natural Kinds Terms" (2008) (Moodle) 3.22 (Th) A Tradition of Natural Kinds Ø Hacking, "A Tradition of Natural Kinds" (1991) (Moodle) Week (M) A Tradition of Natural Kinds Ø Hacking, "A Tradition of Natural Kinds" (1991) (Moodle) Assignment # (T) Case Study I: Biological Taxa Ø Dupré, "Natural Kinds and Biological Taxa" (1981) (Moodle) 3.29 (Th) Case Study I: Biological Taxa Ø Dupré, "Natural Kinds and Biological Taxa" (1981) (Moodle) Week (M) Case study II: minerals Ø LaPorte, "Chemical Kind Term Reference and the Discovery of Essence" (1996) (Moodle) Assignment #7 4.3 (T) Case study II: minerals Ø LaPorte, "Chemical Kind Term Reference and the Discovery of Essence" (1996) (Moodle) 4.5 (Th) ACADEMIC HOLIDAY Week (M) ACADEMIC HOLIDAY 4.10 (T) Case study III: fruit Ø Stuppy, Fruit: Edible, Inedible, Incredible, selections (2008) (Moodle) 4.12 (Th) Case study III: fruit Ø Stuppy, Fruit: Edible, Inedible, Incredible, selections (2008) (Moodle) Assignment #8 Final paper topics distributed

6 6 SECTION IV: SOCIAL ONTOLOGY Week (M) Social Ontology: basics Ø Searle, The Construction of Social Reality, chapter 1 (Moodle) 4.17 (T) Social ontology: basics Ø Searle, The Construction of Social Reality, chapter 2 (Moodle) 4.19 (Th) Social ontology: basics Ø Searle, The Construction of Social Reality, chapter 3 (Moodle) Week (M) Case study IV : races Ø Kitcher, Does Race Have a Future? (2007) (Moodle) 4.24 (T) Case study IV: races Ø Kitcher, Does Race Have a Future? (2007) (Moodle) 4.26 (Th) Case study V: sexes and genders Ø Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough" (1993): Ø Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes Revisited" (2000) Week (M) Case study V: sexes and genders Ø Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough" (1993): Ø Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes Revisited" (2000) (T) Case study VI: recipes Ø Borghini, "On Being the Same Wine" (Moodle) Final paper draft due 5.3 (Th) Case study VI: recipes Ø Borghini, "On Being the Same Wine" (Moodle) Week (M) Conclusion 5.14 (M) Final paper due