Philosophy 7. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
Catalog Number: 1454
Raphael Graham Woolf
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
A survey of some main themes and figures of ancient philosophical thought, concentrating on the pre-Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle. Topics include the nature of reality, the ways we might come to have knowledge, and the good life for human beings.
Philosophy 8. History of Early Modern Philosophy
Catalog Number: 8947
Alison Simmons
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
A survey of major 17th- and 18th-century philosophers with a focus on the major metaphysical and epistemological writings of Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Kant. Topics include the natures of mind and body, the physical world, causation, freedom, and human knowledge. Special attention to the rise of mechanistic science (i.e. the “Scientific Revolution”).
*Philosophy 97hf. Tutorial — Sophomore Year
Catalog Number: 1669
Warren Goldfarb
Half course (throughout the year). Hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: Spring: 18
Note: Required of all sophomore concentrators.
*Philosophy 98hf. Tutorial — Junior Year
Catalog Number: 5533
Warren Goldfarb
Half course (throughout the year). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of all junior concentrators.
*Philosophy 99. Tutorial — Senior Year
Catalog Number: 4396
Warren Goldfarb and members of the department
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Philosophy 105. Ancient Theories of Mind
Catalog Number: 5062
Raphael Graham Woolf
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
An investigation of the Greek concept of psuchê and of ancient theories about the psuchê. Standardly but somewhat misleadingly translated as ‘soul’, the notion of psuchê corresponds in some respects with the modern notion of ‘mind’ but also has considerably wider scope. The course will concentrate mainly but not exclusively on the role of the psuchê as the seat of mentality. Readings from pre-Socratic authors, Plato, Aristotle, and possibly some post-Aristotelian philosophers.
*Philosophy 115. Problem of Evil in Medieval Philosophy: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 0130
Carlos G. Steel (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium )
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
A discussion of medieval arguments about evil, focussing on the ontological question (inherited from Neoplatonism): what sort of existence does evil have if it must be understood as a ‘privation’ of the good? After an introduction on the Neoplatonic antecedents of the medieval debate (Proclus-Dionysius and Augustine) we will examine some texts of Thomas Aquinas and confront the scholastic doctrine of evil with its modern critics.
Philosophy 120. The Rationalists
Catalog Number: 2512
Alison Simmons
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 14
A study of the major writings of Descartes, Malebranche, Spinoza, and Leibniz, focussing on such topics as substance, causation and explanation, God, the natures of and relation between mind and body, and human cognition.
Philosophy 129. Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason
Catalog Number: 0614
Paul Guyer (University of Pennsylvania)
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
A close study of Kant’s first critique with focus on Kant’s analysis of the fundamental capacities of the human mind and the implications of this analysis for his account of the possibility of mathematical and scientific knowledge, for his critique of traditional metaphysics, for his own brand of idealism, and for his distinction between theoretical and practical reason.
Philosophy 132. Hegel
Catalog Number: 8652
Frederick Beiser (University of Indiana)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
A study of Hegel’s epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy, aiming for a broad understanding of Hegel’s system. Following an examination of the context of Hegel’s philosophy (Fichte, Hölderlin, Schiller, Schelling), we will consider Hegel’s response to his contempories (his early Jena writings, especially the Differenzschrift), and then look at the Phenomenology, Encylcopedia Logic, and Philosophy of Right. Finally, we will consider some central objections to Hegel’s philosophy in Feuerbach, Kierkegaard, and James.
*Philosophy 133z. Nineteenth-Century Philosophy from Fichte to Nietzsche: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 4710
Frederick Beiser (University of Indiana)
Half course (spring term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
A survey of philosophers, including Fichte, Hegel, Feuerbach, Kierkegaard, Marx, and Nietzsche, centering on consideration of two grand themes of 19th-century philosophy: alienation and nihilism.
Philosophy 137. The Later Philosophy of Wittgenstein
Catalog Number: 6580
Warren Goldfarb
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
A close reading of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations, focusing on its treatments of the topics of meaning, reference, rule-following, cognition, perception, “the private mental realm,” knowledge, scepticism, and the nature of philosophy. Attention to Wittgenstein’s philosophical methodology, with its claim to dissolve philosophical problems rather than propose solutions of them.
Prerequisite: Two half courses in Philosophy.
Philosophy 143z. Truth
Catalog Number: 3448
Richard G. Heck, Jr.
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
Conceptual and formal issues regarding truth and the liar paradox. Readings from such authors as Austin, Strawson, Ayer, Dummett, Putnam, Tarski, and Kripke.
Prerequisite: Quantitative Reasoning 22 or equivalent preparation.
Philosophy 144. Logic and Philosophy
Catalog Number: 1111
Warren Goldfarb
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Three philosophically important results of modern logic: Gödel’s incompleteness theorems; Turing’s definition of mechanical computability; Tarski’s theory of truth for formalized languages. Discusses both mathematical content and philosophical significance of these results.
Prerequisite: Some knowledge of deductive logic.
Philosophy 146. Philosophy of Language
Catalog Number: 3795
Susanna Siegel
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
An introduction to the philosophy of language. Topics may include: the relation between meaning and intention; the nature of presupposition; the semantics of ascriptions of beliefs and desires; quantifier domain restriction (how are the universes of discourse of quantified sentences determined?); the distinction between referential and attributive use of descriptions.
Philosophy 153. Personal Identity: Who Am I?
Catalog Number: 7844
Mark Heller (Southern Methodist University)
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
An exploration of the issue of personal identity. What is it that makes me the same person who used to get mugged in the school yards of New York? The main focus will be identity over time, but we will also discuss identity across possible worlds. What is it that makes it true that I, the same person who is teaching philosophy, might have been a fireman instead?
Philosophy 156. Philosophy of Mind
Catalog Number: 3677
James Pryor
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6
A survey of central issues in contemporary philosophy of mind. We will consider: (i) different accounts of the relation between minds and the physical world, including questions about whether computers could ever have thoughts or consciousness; (ii) questions about how much our thoughts and experiences depend on the nature of our environments, and how much they’re determined by our own intrinsic make-up; and (iii) problems about how the mental causally interacts with the physical.
*Philosophy 157y. Philosophy of Color: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 2543
James Pryor and Alison Simmons
Half course (spring term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Examines some metaphysical questions about color: Is color an objective property or is it subjective in important ways? (If the latter, in which ways?) Are physical objects really colored? (If not, is anything?) Also examines questions about our perceptual experience of color: Do you and I have the same experiences when we look at tomatoes? Are those experiences representational? Do they mislead us? Finally, examines the relationship between scientific and philosophical investigations of color.
Prerequisite: Philosophy 156 or equivalent.
*Philosophy 166z. Identity and Individuality: Race, Society, and State: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 1148
K. Anthony Appiah
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Nowadays we often suppose we should respect people’s diverse identities both in our institutions and in our everyday dealings with one another. But we also value individuality, believing that people should be free to shape their lives for themselves. These two ideas seem to make conflicting demands on political morality; one topic that fruitfully illuminates these tensions is that of race. This course will explore these tensions.
*Philosophy 167. Feminist Perspectives in Moral and Political Philosophy: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 4890
Melissa Barry
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
An examination of how feminist philosophers have invited a rethinking of central ideas in moral and political philosophy including human nature, equality, autonomy, rights, justice, free speech, contract, consent, and the public/private distinction. We will consider foundational philosophical questions about objectivity, truth, relativism, and the nature of reason. Relative to feminist theorizing, we will ask: Which methods are appropriate? Is there a unified category of “gender” that can be the focus of our theorizing?
Philosophy 169. Morality and Action
Catalog Number: 8138
Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr.
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 14
Various views of the rational and motivational basis of action and their implications for the nature of moral requirements, moral appraisal, and moral responsibility.
Philosophy 172. The History of Modern Moral Philosophy
Catalog Number: 5184
Christine M. Korsgaard
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
A study of the development of modern moral philosophy from its origins in the natural law theories of Hobbes and Pufendorf to the emergence of the two most influential theories of the modern period, utilitarianism and Kantianism, in the works of Bentham and Kant. Selections from the works of Hobbes, Clarke, Butler, Hutcheson, Hume, Smith, Price, and others.
Philosophy 174. Recent Ethical Theory
Catalog Number: 5525
Melissa Barry
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 15
An examination of central issues in contemporary normative ethics, including the strengths and weaknesses of consequentialism, the nature and justification of deontological constraints, the difference between agent-neutral and agent-relative reasons for action, and the potential conflict between moral requirements and personal projects.
[*Philosophy 188r. Philosophy and Literature: Dostoevsky: Proseminar ]
Catalog Number: 8454 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Robert Nozick and William Mills Todd III
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An examination of Dostoevsky’s philosophical ideas and how they function in his fiction. What is gained and what is lost by presenting philosophical ideas in works of fiction rather than in discursive prose? Reading of Dostoevsky’s major works with a view to showing how the problems they contain (social, psychological, political, as well as metaphysical and philosophical) are inseparable not only from his time but from the distinctive novelistic form he created.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04.
*Philosophy 189z. Aesthetics: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 0374
Richard Moran
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Problems in the nature of visual representation, particularly photography. We will discuss the difference between verbal and visual representation, including the difference between saying and showing; and the differences between pictures made “by hand” and images recorded and reproduced mechanically. These differences will be considered in the context of their significance for our epistemic, aesthetic, and moral responses to them. Readings include Barthes, Bazin, Benjamin, Berger, Cavell, Sontag and others.
*Philosophy 191. Philosophy and History: The Russian Revolution: Proseminar
Catalog Number: 2051 Enrollment: Limited to 20.
Robert Nozick and Eric Lohr
Half course (fall term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
An examination of selected philosophical and methodological issues concerning historical explanation, evidence, causation, contingency, objectivity, and narrative, in the context of a detailed case study of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath.
*Philosophy 223. Early Modern Theories of Mind: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3068
Alison Simmons
Half course (fall term). M., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
A close examination of views on mental representation, consciousness, and cognition in early modern theories of mind, including that of Descartes, Arnauld, Malebranche, and Leibniz.
*Philosophy 225. Kant’s Religious and Political Philosophy: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7789
Christine M. Korsgaard
Half course (fall term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
Kant’s accounts of politics and religion are grounded in the moral agent’s need for a vision of how the “Kingdom of Ends” can be realized. We will study these accounts and the relations between them.
Prerequisite: Philosophy 168 or permission of the instructor.
*Philosophy 231. Kant’s Third Critique: Seminar
Catalog Number: 5254
Paul Guyer (University of Pennsylvania)
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
A study of Kant’s Critique of Judgment, focusing on Kant’s analyses of taste, the beautiful, the sublime, and genius; his theory of fine art; and his unification of theoretical and practical reason through teleology.
*Philosophy 244. Possible Worlds: Seminar
Catalog Number: 9306
Mark Heller (Southern Methodist University)
Half course (fall term). Tu., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 18
The course explores the ontology of possible worlds and the role of context in determining which worlds are relevant to a given modal discourse.
*Philosophy 247r. Philosophy of Language: Reference and Communication: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8402
Susanna Siegel
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
What are referring expressions; under what circumstances can an expression be used referentially; is there a single kind of mental state required to understand such uses; what is the referential/attributive distinction and what is its significance, with respect to definite descriptions, phrases of the form “that F”, and indexicals.
*Philosophy 250. Vagueness
Catalog Number: 7424
Richard G. Heck, Jr.
Half course (fall term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Recent work on vagueness.
*Philosophy 275. Practical Reason and Ethics: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4228
Derek Parfit (All Souls College, Oxford)
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 4–6. First course meeting Monday, 9/23, from 2-4 p.m. in Emerson Hall 107 Professor . EXAM GROUP: 18
Kant’s ethics, Scanlon’s contractualism, reasons for believing, caring, and acting, rationality, normativity, naturalism, non-cognitivism, non-reductive realism.
*Philosophy 276. Topics in Bioethics
Catalog Number: 8040 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Frances Kamm (Kennedy School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
An examination of selected practical issues in bioethics and aspects of normative ethical theory bearing on them. Topics include aggregation and the distribution of scarce resources, discrimination and disability, death and physician-assisted suicide, abortion. Readings will be drawn from contemporary philosophical sources.
Note: Offered jointly with the Kennedy School of Government as API-604.
Prerequisite: At least one course in Ethics.
*Philosophy 299hf. Individual Supervision
Catalog Number: 8076
Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. and Members of the Department
Half course (throughout the year). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of candidates for the A.M. or Ph.D. in Philosophy. Consult the Department’s Supplement to the General Announcement for details.
*Philosophy 300b. Colloquium
Catalog Number: 6280
Richard Moran 1786 (on leave 2002-03)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Philosophy 300a.
*Philosophy 303. Colloquium: Dissertation Presentations
Catalog Number: 1089
Richard Moran 1786 (on leave 2002-03) and Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. 7986
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
*Philosophy 305. Individual Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 4462
K. Anthony Appiah 3067, Melissa Barry 3037, Frederick Beiser (University of Indiana) 4189, Michael Blake 1471 (on leave 2001-02), Warren Goldfarb 4499, Paul Guyer (University of Pennsylvania) 4019, Richard G. Heck, Jr. 2993 (on leave spring term), Christine M. Korsgaard 2994, Richard Moran 1786 (on leave 2002-03), Robert Nozick 2999, Derek Parfit (All Souls College, Oxford) 2066, Charles D. Parsons 2298 (on leave 2001-02), James Pryor 2190 (on leave spring term), Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. 7986, Susanna Siegel 2441 (on leave 2002-03), Alison Simmons 1300, Gisela Striker 2271 (on leave spring term), and Raphael Graham Woolf 2488 (on leave 2002-03)
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
*Philosophy 310. Research Seminars
Catalog Number: 4465
K. Anthony Appiah 3067, Melissa Barry 3037, Frederick Beiser (University of Indiana) 4189, Michael Blake 1471 (on leave 2001-02), Warren Goldfarb 4499, Paul Guyer (University of Pennsylvania) 4019, Richard G. Heck, Jr. 2993 (on leave spring term), Christine M. Korsgaard 2994, Richard Moran 1786 (on leave 2002-03), Robert Nozick 2999, Derek Parfit (All Souls College, Oxford) 2066, Charles D. Parsons 2298 (on leave 2001-02), James Pryor 2190 (on leave spring term), Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. 7986, Susanna Siegel 2441 (on leave 2002-03), Alison Simmons 1300, Gisela Striker 2271 (on leave spring term), and Raphael Graham Woolf 2488 (on leave 2002-03)
Small seminars on specialized topics, to be arranged when practicable by these members of the Department in consultation with graduate students who are suitably prepared. When topics of such seminars are decided far enough in advance, the seminars will be listed individually with numbers from 311 through 398.
*Philosophy 311. Workshop on Moral and Political Philosophy
Catalog Number: 5370
Melissa Barry 3037, Christine M. Korsgaard 2994, and Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. 7986
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A forum for the presentation and discussion of work in progress by students and faculty working in the areas of moral and political philosophy. Open only to graduate students in the Philosophy Department and by special invitation of the instructors.
Note: Meets approximately every two weeks throughout the year.
*Philosophy 333. Preparation for the Topical Examination
Catalog Number: 1967
K. Anthony Appiah 3067, Melissa Barry 3037, Michael Blake 1471 (on leave 2001-02), Warren Goldfarb 4499, Richard G. Heck, Jr. 2993 (on leave spring term), Christine M. Korsgaard 2994, Richard Moran 1786 (on leave 2002-03), Robert Nozick 2999, Charles D. Parsons 2298 (on leave 2001-02), James Pryor 2190 (on leave spring term), Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. 7986, Susanna Siegel 2441 (on leave 2002-03), Alison Simmons 1300, Gisela Striker 2271 (on leave spring term), and Raphael Graham Woolf 2488 (on leave 2002-03)
Required in both fall and spring terms of all third-year graduate students in the Department.
*Philosophy 399. Direction of Doctoral Dissertations
Catalog Number: 3283
K. Anthony Appiah 3067, Melissa Barry 3037, Michael Blake 1471 (on leave 2001-02), Stanley Cavell 2087, Warren Goldfarb 4499, Richard G. Heck, Jr. 2993 (on leave spring term), Christine M. Korsgaard 2994, Richard Moran 1786 (on leave 2002-03), Robert Nozick 2999, Charles D. Parsons 2298 (on leave 2001-02), James Pryor 2190 (on leave spring term), Hilary Putnam 2838, Thomas M. Scanlon, Jr. 7986, Susanna Siegel 2441 (on leave 2002-03), Alison Simmons 1300, Gisela Striker 2271 (on leave spring term), and Raphael Graham Woolf 2488 (on leave 2002-03)