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Philosophy
3370: Metaphysics Spring 2008 §20063 MWF 12:00-12:50; 131 Harrin Hall |
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Instructor: Ron Novy Email: rnovy@uca.edu Telephone: 852-2641 |
Course Page: http://faculty.uca.edu/~rnovy Office: 225A Harrin Hall Office Hrs: MWF 9:00-9:50; 11:00-11:50; 1:00-2:40; by
appt. |
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Texts: Metaphysics (4th ed) by Richard
Taylor The Metaphysics of
Death by John Martin Fischer Additional required materials will be
available via the course webpage. Course
Description: Metaphysics can be thought of as an inquiry into
the most basic and general features of existence. Aristotle called this
inquiry "first philosophy” – the investigation of the philosophically
most fundamental of matters. William James, on the other hand, tells us that
metaphysics is “nothing but an unusually obstinate effort to think
clearly.” Taken together, metaphysics
is a field of study that attempts to clearly and systematically address a
wide-range of philosophical questions whose answers underlie our basic
understanding of reality. In this course we will explore a number of such
questions of historical and modern interest. Structure
& Expectations: for the most part,
this class will follow a seminar format. As such, all members of the class are
expected to attend all class meetings, to be familiar with the day’s assigned
reading, and to actively participate in classroom discussions. Grading: Your final grade for this course will be
determined as follows: précis & presentation (10%), two evaluative
critiques (10%), a paper portfolio (40%) and two exams (20% each). See notes
at the course web page for further information on each component. ·
Exams: There will be both
a mid-term and a non-cumulative final exam in this course. ·
Evaluative Critiques: Through the
course of the semester, each student is required to submit two critical,
one-page essays on an assigned text. ·
Paper Portfolio: Each student is expected to produce an
eight-ten page conference-quality paper during the course of the semester. ·
Précis & Presentation: Each student is expected to draw up and
present a précis on an assigned article. Participation & Attendance: Roll will be taken regularly and will act as a
ceiling on the student’s grade for the course. Regardless of grades received
on the various assignments, a student’s course grade will not exceed the
percentage of classes attended. Additional Notes: ·
Academic Dishonesty: The academic community
regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter with serious
consequences that range from a failing grade to expulsion from the
University. When in doubt regarding plagiarism, quotation, collaboration,
etc. consult with the instructor. For further information regarding UCA’s academic
misconduct policy, see the UCA Student Handbook. ·
Sexual
Harassment: Sexual harassment by any faculty member,
staff member, or student is a violation of both federal law and university
policy and will not be tolerated at UCA. For further information regarding
the university’s sexual harassment policy, see the UCA Student Handbook.
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Gadgets:
Classroom use of electronic information devices (cell phones, PDAs, IPods,
etc.) is prohibited. |
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PHIL3370 Metaphysics Reading & Exam
Schedule Spring 2008 |
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Monday |
Wednesday |
Friday |
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January 10 INTRODUCTORY
BITS Plutarch: The Ship of
Theseus |
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January 14 Taylor Ch. 12: Polarity Borges: The Library of |
January 16 Taylor Ch. 1:
The Need for Metaphysics Aristotle: Metaphysics |
January 18 Beauvoir: “Woman as Other”
from The Second Sex |
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January 21 MLK. |
January 23 MINDS & BODIES Taylor Ch. 2: Persons and
Bodies Taylor Ch. 3:
Interactionism |
January 25 Plato: Phaedo |
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January 28 Aristotle: De Anima |
January 30 Descartes: Second
Meditation Bisson: They’re Made out of Meat |
February 1 Taylor Ch. 4:
The Mind as a Function of the Body Borges: Borges and I |
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February 4 Locke: Of Identity &
Diversity |
February 6 Nagel: What is it like to
be a bat? |
February 8 Dennett: Where am I? |
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February 11 Putnam: Brains in a Vat |
February 13 Hauser: Why isn’t my
Pocket Calculator a Thinking Thing? Leiber: Space-Time for
Springers |
February 15 Haraway: A Cyborg
Manifesto Kunzru: You are Cyborg Clynes: Cyborgs in Space |
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February 18 FATE Taylor Ch. 5: Freedom
& Determinism Taylor Ch. 6: Fate |
February 20 Aristotle: On Fatalism Aquinas: On Voluntary
Action |
February 22 No Class today (Midsouth Conf.) Please read: Taylor Ch. 11: God Asimov: The Last Question |
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February 25 GOD Dennett: I Could Not Have
Done Otherwise, So What? |
February 27 Anselm: Ontological
Argument Gaunilo: In Behalf of the
Fool |
February 29 Rowe: Cosmological
Argument |
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March 3 Feuerbach: The Essence of
Religion in General |
March 5 Guest Speaker: Dr. Donna
Bowman, On Process Philosophy |
March 7 Swinburne: The
Justification of Theism |
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March 10 EXAM #1 |
March 12 Taylor Ch. 10: Causation |
March 14 TIME Taylor Ch. 7: Space and
Time Taylor Ch. 8: The
Relativity of Time and Space |
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March 17 Augustine: On Time Aristotle: Time is the
Measure of Change |
March 19 Keller & Nelson:
Presentists Should Believe in Time Travel |
March 21 McTaggart: The Unreality
of Time |
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March 24 Spring Break |
March 26 Spring Break |
March 28 Spring Break |
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March 31 Taylor Ch. 9: Temporal
Passage |
April 2 Williams: The Myth of
Passage |
April 4 Lewis: Paradoxes of Time
Travel |
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April 7 Heinlein: All You Zombies! Bradbury: A Sound of
Thunder |
April 9 DEATH Fischer: Death,
Metaphysics, and Morality, 1-30 in TMOD |
April 11 Murphy: Rationality and
the Fear of Death, 41-58 in TMOD |
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April 14 Nagel: Death, 59-70 in TMOD |
April 16 Rosenbaum: How to be Dead and not Care, 117-134 in TMOD |
April 18 Parfit: Reasons and
Person, 191-218 in TMOD |
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April 21 Luper-Foy: Annihilation,
267-290 in TMOD |
April 23 Camus: The Myth of
Sisyphus |
April 25 Reading Day |
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April
30 EXAM
#2 (11a.m.) |
TMOD: The Metaphysics of Death |