Bradley Rettler
Metaphysics
INSTRUCTOR: Dr Bradley Rettler
CONTACT: rettlerb@gmail.com
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 2-3, and by appointment
OFFICE: Morrison Hall 220
MAILBOX: Morrison Hall 212
Resources
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On How to Write Good Philosophy Papers
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On How To Read Philosophy
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On How to Understand Philosophy
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What is a Good Argument?
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Glossary of Philosophy Terms
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Good and Bad Arguments
Schedule and Readings
Introduction
Aug 26:
Ontology
Aug 28: Willard van Orman Quine - "On What There Is" (7-16 in anthology)
Sep 2: David and Stephanie Lewis - "Holes" (27-32) And a video!
Sep 4: Peter van Inwagen - "Meta-ontology"
Sep 9: Jonathan Schaffer - "On What Grounds What" (73-97)
Sep 11: Ontology, Review
Modality
Sep 16: David Lewis - "A Philosopher's Paradise" (208-230)
Sep 18: Lewis, continued
Sep 23: Alvin Plantinga - "Actualism and Possible Worlds"
Sep 25: Plantinga, continued
Persistence
Sep 30: David Lewis - "The Problem of Temporary Intrinsics" (504-506)
Oct 2: Judith Thomson - "Parthood and Identity Across Time"(480-492)
Oct 7: Mark Heller - "Temporal Parts of 4-Dimensional Objects" (492-504)
Oct 9: Sally Haslanger - "Endurance and Temporary Intrinsics" (506-511)
Time
Oct 14: J.M.E. McTaggart - "The Unreality of Time"
Oct 16: Ted Sider - "Against Presentism"
Free will
Oct 21: Richard Taylor - "Fatalism"
Oct 23: Peter van Inwagen - The Consequence Argument
Oct 28: Peter van Inwagen - The Mind Argument
Oct 30: Harry Frankfurt - "Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility"
Composition
Nov 4: Ted Sider - "The Argument from Vagueness"
Nov 6: Sider, Continued
Nov 11: Peter van Inwagen - Material Beings, Chapters 2,9
Nov 13: Composition, Review
Human Persons
Nov 18 2: Eric Olson - "An Argument for Animalism" (in MBQ)
Nov 20: Lynne Rudder Baker - "The Ontological Status of Persons"
Nov 25: Human Persons, Review
Metaphysics of Race
Dec 2: Alyssa Ney and Allan Hazlett - "The Metaphysics of Race"
Dec 4: Charles Mills - "But what are you really?"
Dec 9: Final Papers Due (No Class)
Dec 13: Final Exam, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.