PHIL 46003/56003: Metaphysics
Prof. Funkhouser
MWF, 9:40-10:30; AFLS D113
Topic: Metaphysics & Ontology
August 19
Ney, Preparatory Background
August 21
Ney, Chapter 1, pp. 29-40
August 23
Quine, "On What There Is" Notes
August 26
Ney, Chapter 1, pp. 41-52; Chapter 4, pp. 116-130
August 28
Carnap, "Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology" Notes
August 30
Grad Students: Yablo, "Does Ontology Rest on a Mistake?"
Topic: Modality & Essentialism
September 2
No Class -- Labor Day Holiday
September 4
Ney, Chapter 4, pp. 130-135
Locke, Essay, Book III, Chapter 3 Notes
September 6
Ney, Chapter 10, pp. 277-280; 298-303
Undergrad SR #1 Due
Grad Student Shorter Paper Assignment
September 9
Kripke, "Identity and Necessity" Notes
September 11
Ney, Chapter 10, pp. 280-298
September 13
Grad Students: Lewis, On the Plurality of Worlds (§1.1-1.3) Notes
Topic: Universals & Natural Kinds
September 16
Ney, Chapter 2, pp. 54-65
September 18
Armstrong, "Properties" Notes
September 20
Ney, Chapter 2, pp. 65-75
Shorter Paper Due (Grad Students)
September 23
Williams, "On the Elements of Being: I" Notes
September 25
"Carl Hempel," SEP, §3
September 27
Goodman, Fact, Fiction, and Forecast (excerpts) Notes
Topic: Natural & Social Kinds
Septtember 30
Ney, Chapter 5
October 2
Quine, "Natural Kinds" Notes
October 4
Grad Students: Lewis, "New Work for a Theory of Universals" Notes
Undergrad SR #2 Due
October 7
Cont'd
October 9
Midterm Day 1
October 11
Midterm Day 2
October 14
No Class -- Fall Break
October 16
Ney, Chapter 6
October 18
Haslanger, "Gender and Race..." Notes
Topic: Material Objects & Persistence
October 21
Black, "The Identity of Indiscernibles" Notes
October 23
Ney, Chapter 3
October 25
Gibbard, "Contingent Identity" (§I-IV only) Notes
October 28
Ney, Chapter 9
October 30
Quine, "Identity, Ostension, and Hypostasis" Notes
November 1
Heller, "Temporal Parts of Four-Dimensional Objects" Notes
Grad students: Sider, "Four Dimensionalism"
Topic: Causation
November 4
Ney, Chapter 11
November 6
Cont'd
November 8
Mackie, "Causes and Conditions" (§1-4 only) Notes
Undergrad SR #3 Due
November 11
Lewis, "Causation" Notes
November 13
Tooley, "Causation: Reductionism Versus Realism" Notes
November 15
Cont'd
Topic: Free Will
November 18
Ney, Chapter 12
November 20
Van Inwagen, An Essay on Free Will (excerpts) Notes
November 22
Frankfurt, "Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility" Notes
November 25
Cont'd
November 27
No Class -- Thanksgiving Break
November 29
No Class -- Thanksgiving Break
December 2
Frankfurt, "Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person" Notes
December 4
Grad Students: Strawson, "Freedom and Resentment"
Longer Paper Due (by Sunday, December 8 at 6:00 p.m..)
Wednesday, December 11 (10:15-12:15)
Final Exam