Bradley Rettler
Philosophy and Human Nature (Spring 2018)
INSTRUCTOR: Dr Bradley Rettler
CONTACT: rettlerb@gmail.com
OFFICE: Lowenstein 921B
OFFICE HOURS: Monday 11:15-12:30, Tuesday 1-3, and by appointment
Course Website: http://philosophy.bradleyrettler.com
Resources
Schedule and Readings (readings are to be done by the day they are listed)
Jan 18: Introduction: What is Philosophy?
What do we know?
Jan 22: Meno (especially 58-64, 70-78, 89-92) -- Sample Critical Paper
Jan 25: Meno, continued (especially 96 to the end)
Jan 29: Gettier, Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?
Feb 1: NO CLASS
Feb 5: Logic -- Common Argument Forms
Feb 8: Descartes, Meditation I
Excellent Student Papers: 1, 2, 3, 4
What kinds of things are we?
Feb 12: Descartes, Meditation II
Feb 15: Meditation II, continued
Feb 20 (TUESDAY): Plato - Phaedo
Feb 22: Phaedo, Continued
Feb 26: Aristotle, Physics
March 1: Aristotle, On the Soul
March 5: Aquinas -- Summa Theologiae
March 8: Aquinas / What are We, concluded
Are we free?
March 12: Augustine -- On Free Choice of the Will, pp.1-30, especially 21-30
March 15: Midterm Exam Review
March 19: MIDTERM EXAM
March 22: NO CLASS -- SPRING BREAK
March 26: NO CLASS -- SPRING BREAK
March 29: NO CLASS -- EASTER
April 2: NO CLASS -- EASTER
April 5: van Inwagen - The Consequence Argument
April 9: Nelkin - The Consequence Argument and the Mind Argument
April 12: Frankfurt - Principle of Alternative Possibilities
Is there a God?
April 16: Descartes -- Meditation 5
April 19: NO CLASS
April 23: Zagzebski - Does Ethics Need God?
April 26: Collins - Fine-tuning
April 30: Adams - Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God
May 3: Review
May 10, 1:30pm (2:30 section)
May 14, 1:30pm (4:00 section)