24.501 Problems in Metaphysics

TIMES AND PLACES: (mostly) Thursday 4-7, E51-393. There are occasional conflicts with Harvard's philosophy colloquia; some of these conflicts will be avoided by meeting from 7-10 (unfortunately this will sometimes generate conflicts with WOGAP). Check this webpage for the time of the next meeting.

GRADING: twenty page term paper

READINGS: available in the filing cabinet next to the graduate student mailboxes in E39, and announced here.

NEXT CLASS:

Monday May 20th, 11-1, in E39-335 (note time and room change)

Readings: Langton, Kantian Humility, intro., chs. 1, 2, 4, 6; Stroud, The Quest for Reality, chs. 2, 7, 8, 9

Thursday May 16th (usual place, 5-8 note time change)

Readings: Langton, Kantian Humility, intro., chs. 1, 2, 4, 6; Stroud, The Quest for Reality, chs. 2, 7, 8, 9

Thursday May 9th (usual place, usual time)

Readings: Langton, Kantian Humility, intro., chs. 1, 2, 4, 6.

Thursday May 2nd (usual place, usual time) [NB: No class Thursday April 25th, - AB away.]

Readings: Shoemaker, Whitehead Lectures; Hilbert and Kalderon, "Color and the Inverted Spectrum"; Thau, "Black-and-white Mary"; Byrne, "Something about Mary" (optional).

Thursday April 18th 7-10, in E39-335.(Shoemaker's first Whitehead lecture is at 4)

Readings: Shoemaker, "Phenomenal Character"; "Phenomenal Character Revisited", "Reply to Leeds".

Tuesday April 16th 5-6.30, in E39-335. Special Shoemaker review session [NB: No class Thursday April 11th, - AB away. The following class will be Thursday 18th April, 7-10 in E39-335 (Shoemaker's first Whitehead lecture is at 4)]

Readings: Shoemaker, "Phenomenal Character"; "Phenomenal Character Revisited", "Reply to Leeds". [This is for Tuesday. Shoemaker remains the topic on Thursday, but extra readings will probably be added.]

Thursday April 4th, 4-7 (usual place, usual time)

Readings: Blackburn, chapter from Ruling Passions; Rosen, critical notice of Essays in Quasi-Realism; Blackburn, chapter from Spreading the Word [optional]

Thursday March 21st, 4-7 (usual place, usual time)

Readings: Mackie, Ethics, ch. 1; McDowell, "Aesthetic Value, Objectivity, and the Fabric of the World"; McDowell, "Values and Secondary Qualities"; Smith, "Internalism's Wheel" (esp. part V)

Time change: Thursday March 14th, 7-10 in the usual place (E51-393) (there is a conflict with Blackburn's talk at Harvard at 4)

Readings: Evans, "Things Without the Mind"; Johnston, "How to Speak of the Colors"; Yablo, "Singling Out Properties" [optional]

Time and room change: Thursday March 7th, 7-10 in E39-335 (there is a conflict with Kim's talk at Harvard at 4)

Readings: Evans, "Things Without the Mind"; Williams, excerpt from Descartes; Rosen, "Objectivity and Modern Idealism: what is the question?" [optional]

Thursday February 28th, 4-7

Readings: McGinn, The Subjective View (chs. 2-3; 6-7); Williams, excerpt from Descartes

Thursday February 21st, 4-7

Readings: McGinn, The Subjective View (chs. 2-3; 6-7); Smith, "Of Primary and Secondary Qualities"; Williams, excerpt from Descartes

Thursday February 14th, 4-7

Readings: McGinn, The Subjective View (chs. 2-3; 6-7) [just try and get through chapters 2 and 3]; Smith, "Of Primary and Secondary Qualities"; Wilson, "History of Philosophy in Philosophy Today..." [for background]