Seminar in Metametaphysics

Seminar in Metametaphysics (Spring 2019)

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Bradley Rettler

CONTACT: brettler@uwyo.edu

OFFICE: Ross Hall 128

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 1-3, Thursday 11-12, and by appointment

MEETINGS: Thursdays, 4:10-6:40

ROOM: Ross Hall 135

Course Website: http://metametaphysics.bradleyrettler.com

Resources:

Course Syllabus

On How to Write Good Philosophy Papers
On How To Read Philosophy
Glossary of Philosophy Terms
What is a Good Argument?
Good and Bad Arguments

Schedule and Readings (readings are to be done by the day they are listed)

Jan 31:

FB, Introduction

van Inwagen -- "Meta-ontology"

Thomasson, Ch 1 -- ``The Forgotten Easy Approach''

Feb 7:

FB, Chapter 1 -- ``Ways of Being''

Merricks -- "The Only Way to Be"

Thomasson, Ch 2 -- ``The Unbearable Lightness of Existence''

Feb 14:

Caplan -- ``Ontological Superpluralism''

Turner -- ``Ontological Pluralism''

Feb 21:

Korman -- ``Fundamental Quantification and the Language of the Ontology Room''

Rettler -- ``Quantification in the Ontology Room''

Feb 28:

Thomasson, Ch 10 -- ``Can Hard Questions be Revived in Ontologese?''

March 7:

FB, Chapter 2 -- ``A Return to the Analogy of Being''

David Lewis -- ``New Work for a Theory of Universals''

March 14:

FB, Chapter 3 -- ``Ways of Being and Time''

SEP -- Time (Section 6)

SEP -- Presentism

March 21: SPRING BREAK

March 28:

FB, Chapter 4 -- ``Categories of Being''

van Inwagen -- ``What is an Ontological Category?''

April 4:

FB, Chapter 5 -- ``Being and almost Nothingness''

Lewis and Lewis -- ``Holes''

April 11:

FB, Chapter 6 -- ``Persons and Value''

Unger -- ``I Do Not Exist''

April 18:

FB, Chapter 7 -- ``Degrees of Being''

Lewis -- Properties (from On The Plurality of Worlds)

April 25:

FB, Chapter 8 -- ``Being and Ground''

Schaffer -- ``What Grounds What?''

May 2:

FB, Chapter 9 -- ``Being and Essence''

Koslicki -- "Essence, Necessity, and Explanation"

May 9:

Author meets Students -- McDaniel visit or Skype