PHILOSOPHY 203: Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology, Fall 2016 Preceptors: Professor G. Rosen 124 1879 Hall (609) 258-5505 grosen@princeton.edu Office Hours: Mon. 2:30-3:20 or by appt. Daniel Berntson berntson@ Head Preceptor Colin Bradley jcb5@ Eric Hansen erlh@ Brett Karlan bkarlan@ Patrick Miller pamiller@ Gabriel Shapiro gyshapiro@gmail.com Required text: Rosen, Byrne, Cohen and Shiffrin, eds. The Norton Introduction to Philosophy. W. W. Norton & Co. 2015. Written work: Two very short papers (500 words) due: 10/5, 10/19 One short paper (1500 words) due: 11/30 One long paper (2500 words) due: 1/23 (Dean s Date) Grading: Very short papers, 10% each; short paper, 30%; long paper, 40%; precept participation, 10%. Syllabus Unmarked selections are in the textbook. Selections marked (B) will be posted on Blackboard under Course Materials. Selections marked (*) are optional. Note: Each selection in NIPHIL is followed by Test Your Understanding questions and longer Notes and Questions. The former are meant to be easy. If you can t answer them after reading the selection, read it again. The latter are more substantive and may provide possible paper topics. The Existence of God L1 (9/14) Rules of the Game *NIPHIL, Brief Guide to Logic and Argumentation 1
L2 (9/19) The Ontological Argument NIPHIL. Ch. 1, Introduction Anselm, The Ontological Argument * Gaunillo, On Behalf of the Fool (B) L3 (9/21) The Cosmological Argument Aquinas, The Five Ways Clarke, selections from A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God (1705) (B) L4 (9/26) The Design Argument Paley, The Argument from Design White, The Argument from Cosmological Fine-Tuning *Mill, Theism L5 (9/28) The Problem of Evil Rowe, The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism Stump, The Problem of Evil (B) * Lewis, Divine Evil (B) Belief without Evidence L6 (10/3) Pascal s Wager NIPHIL, Ch. 2 Introduction Pascal, The Wager Hájek, Pascal s Ultimate Gamble L7 (10/5) The Will to Believe Clifford, The Ethics of Belief (B) James, The Will to Believe The Nature of Knowledge L8 (10/10) What is Knowledge and Why does It Matter? NIPHIL Ch. 3 Introduction Plato, Meno 2
Gettier, Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? *Harman, Evidence One Does Not Possess *Zagzebski, The Inescapability of Gettier Problems The Problem of Induction L9 (10/12) Hume s Problem NIPHIL, Ch.4 Introduction Hume, Sceptical Doubts L10 (10/17) Solutions to Hume s Problem Strawson, The Justification of Induction Harman, The Inference to the Best Explanation *Popper, The Problem of Induction L11 (10/19) The New Riddle Goodman, The New Riddle of Induction Knowledge of the External World L12 (10/24) Descartes Problem Descartes, Meditations 1 & 2. L13 (10/26) Solutions to Descartes Problem Moore, Proof of an External World Vogel, Skepticism and Inference to the Best Explanation *Cohen, Contextualism Knowledge of the Internal World L14 (11/7) The Problem of (Other) Minds Byrne, Skepticism about the Internal World Hyslop and Jackson, The Analogical Inference to Other Minds L15 (11/9) The Problem of Consciousness Jackson, Epiphenomenal Qualia 3
Churchland, Are Mental States Irreducible to Neurobiological States? Chalmers, The Hard Problem of Consciousness Identity over Time L16 (11/14) Locke s Problem NIPHIL, Ch. 12. Introduction Locke, Of Identity and Diversity L17 (11/16) Solutions to Locke s Problem Swinburne, The Dualist Theory Parfit, Personal Identity L18 (11/21) Brain Transplants, Fission and Other Puzzles Williams, The Self and the Future Lewis, Survival and Identity (B) Free Will L19 (11/28) The Free Will Problem NIPHIL, Ch. 13. Introduction G. Strawson, Free Will Van Inwagen, The Consequence Argument (B) L20 (11/30) A Libertarian Solution Chisholm, Human Freedom and the Self L21 (12/5) Compatibilist Solutions Ayer, Freedom and Necessity Wolf, Asymmetrical Freedom L22 (12/7) Frankfurt s Theory Frankfurt, Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility Frankfurt, Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person (B) 4
L23 (12/12) Strawson s Theory P. F. Strawson, Freedom and Resentment L24 (12/14) Moral Luck Nagel, Moral Luck (B) 5