Teaching

American Philosophy

This course primarily examines philosophical ‘Pragmatism’, the only distinctively American movement in philosophy, from its origins at Harvard in the 1870s to its recent revival in the work of influential philosophers such as Richard Rorty, Hilary Putnam and Robert Brandom. As the name suggests, Pragmatism embodies the idea that the true significance of any idea or philosophical theory lies in its practical implications. The course also considers the work of important American philosophers whose work was influenced by Pragmatism, and those who contributed to the debates begun by Pragmatist philosophers, these include C.I. Lewis, George Herbert Mead, W.V.O. Quine, Nelson Goodman and Morton White.

The course has three parts. In the first part we explore some of the writings of the three ‘classical pragmatists’: Charles S. Peirce, William James and John Dewey. In the second part we examine the ‘bridge’ between classical pragmatism and its contemporary manifestation, particularly through the work of C.I. Lewis and Morton White. In the third part we examine ‘neo-pragmatism’, as espoused by figures such as Putnam & Rorty.

Metaphysics

What, if anything, can philosophical reflection tell us about the world? Can it tell us whether God exists? Whether our actions are free or pre-determined? What reality is like independently of how it seems to us to be? Many are skeptical that there is anything to be gained by reasoning about the nature of reality from the comfort of one’s armchair. Surely, if you want to understand the world, you have to go out an investigate it, be a scientist of some kind? Yet even with all the extraordinary scientific achievements of the past few hundred years, many profound and fascinating philosophical questions remain unanswered. Not only that, much of what science has taught us about the world seems only to raise more questions.

In this course we will try exploring aspects of ourselves and our world through (mostly contemporary) metaphysics – the study of the nature of things by means of philosophical reflection. Most contemporary metaphysics involves studying our world through the lens of language and our concepts, and for the most part this will be our focus too. We will explore the possibility that metaphysics can help us to reconcile what science and other disciplines tell us with our common sense, first-person, human perspective on the nature of things.

Introduction to Logic

When you watch television, talk with your roommate, surf the Internet, or attend class, you face decisions about what to believe. Should you be persuaded by a television commentator’s argument that tax rebates will stimulate the economy? Should you agree with your roommate’s claim that same-sex marriages are morally wrong? Should you agree with a scientific study’s conclusion that the best explanation of the extinction of the dinosaurs is a meteor hitting the Earth? The answers to these questions depend on the quality of the arguments provided in each case. In this course, you will learn how to identify, analyze and evaluate both deductive and inductive arguments.