24:211: Metaphysics
MIT Department of Linguistics and Philosophy
Fall Term 1999
Prof. Sally Haslanger
Class Meetings: M-W 1-2:30, 66-156
Office Hours: Tu 1-3
E39-349 (mailbox: E39-245)
Office Phone: 253-4458
Email: shaslang@mit.edu
Description: The course will provide a survey of recent work on central topics in metaphysics, e.g., existence, identity, universals, particulars, necessity, supervenience.
Texts:
Available at the MIT COOP:
David Armstrong, Universals: An Opinionated Introduction
Jaegwon Kim & Earnest Sosa, Metaphysics Anthology
and a coursepack available for copying at the Humanities Library Reserve Desk (14N-132).
Course Requirements:
Reading assignments will range from about 40-100 pages per week. It is essential that everyone read these assignments in preparation for class meetings. Reading questions will be distributed at least 5 times during the term; students must turn in short answers to these reading questions at least 4 times (the four highest marks will be counted). Reading assignments are due in class, and no late assignments will be accepted.
There will be three papers (1500-2000 words) due during the term. Paper topics will be distributed in advance. Students must write on one of the listed topics unless an alternative topic is approved.
Evaluation:
The student's final grade will be based on written work, class participation, and improvement over the term. (The three papers will count for approximately 90% of the grade; reading questions, participation, improvement, etc. will count for approximately 10%.) Late papers will be graded down unless an extension is granted in advance of the due date (except, of course, in case of medical emergency).
Tentative Course Plan
Materials marked "C" are in the coursepack; everything else will be found either in Armstrong (A) or Kim & Sosa (K).
I. Existence
A. Nonbeing
9/13: T. Parsons, "Referring to Nonexistent Objects" [K]
9/15: B. Russell, "Existence and Descriptions" [K]
B. What is there?
9/20: W.V.O. Quine, "On What There Is" [K]
9/22: R. Carnap, "Empiricism, Semantics, & Ontology" [K]
9/27: W.V.O. Quine, "Two Dogmas of Empiricism" [C]
9/29: W. Alston, "Ontological Commitments" [C]
C. Creatures of fiction
10/4: D. Lewis, "Truth in Fiction" [C]
10/6: K. Walton, "Doing without Fictitious Entities" [C]
K. Walton, "Existence" [C]
10/11: Columbus Day -- no class
II. Universals
A. One over Many
10/13: D. Armstrong, "Introduction to Nominalism & Realism" [C]
D. Lewis, "New Work for a Theory of Universals," pp. 213-215 (the section titled: "One over Many") [K]
FIRST PAPER DUE
B. Natural Classes
10/18: D. Armstrong, Ch. 1 of Universals [A]
D. Lewis, "New Work for a Theory of Universals" pp. 209-213 (up to "One over Many") [K]
C. Primitivism
10/20: D. Armstrong, chapter 2 of Universals [A]
A. Quinton, "Properties & Classes" [C]
D. Resemblance
10/25: D. Armstrong, chapter 3 of Universals [A]
H.H. Price, "Universals & Resemblances" [C]
III. Particulars
A. Bundles
10/27: B. Russell, "The Principle of Individuation" [C]
D. Armstrong, chapter 4 of Universals [A]
11/1: M. Black, "The Identity of Indiscernibles" [K]
B. Bare Particulars
11/3: E. Allaire, "Bare Particulars" [C]
R. Adams, "Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity" [K]
C. Substance/Attributes
11/8: D. Armstrong, chapter 5 of Universals [A]
D. Armstrong, "Universals as Attributes" [K]
IV. Persistence
11/10: R. Chisholm, "Identity Through Time" [K]
SECOND PAPER DUE
11/15: W. V. O. Quine, "Identity, Ostension, and Hypostasis" [K]
11/17: J. J. Thomson, "Parthood and Identity Across Time" [K]
11/22: S. Haslanger, "Persistence, Change, and Explanation" [C]
T. Merricks, "Endurance and Indiscernibility" [C]
11/24: M. Heller, "Temporal Parts of Four-Dimensional Objects" [K]
IV. Persons
11/29: R. Chisholm, "The Persistence of Persons" [K]
12/1: S. Shoemaker, "Persons and Their Pasts" [K]
12/6: B. Williams, "The Self and the Future" [K]
12/8: D. Parfit, "Personal Identity" [K]
THIRD PAPER DUE
ALTERNATIVE TOPICS:
Reduction and Supervenience
C. D. Broad, "Mechanism and Emergentism" [K]
J. Fodor, "Special Sciences" [K]
J. Kim, "Supervenience as a Philosophical Concept" [K]
Necessity
A.J. Ayer, "The A Priori" [C]
W.V.O. Quine, "Reference and Modality" [C]
D. Lewis, "Possible Worlds" [C]
R. Stalnaker, "Possible Worlds" [C]
D. Lewis, "Counterparts or Double Lives?" [K]
S. Kripke, "Identity and Necessity," 66-97 [K]