Philosophy
4321, Fall 2024: Metaphysics
Alexander
R. Pruss
E-mail: alexander_pruss@baylor.edu
Course web page: http://AlexanderPruss.com/classes/meta/
Class times: Tue/Thu 11:00-12:15 in MH 106
Instructor office hours: MH 213: Monday and Wednesday, 10:45-noon or by appointment or drop-in
Abstract:
Metaphysics
asks two different kinds of questions. One set of problems is more concrete,
asking about how certain things really are, on a level that goes beyond what
science studies. After a bit of a warm-up exercise in talking about the nature
of time, we will examine two such problems: What makes me be me? (Would I
survive if my brain were implanted in your skull? Do I have a soul that makes
me be me?) What is free will and do we have it?
The
second set of problems is more abstract, and we will look at two such problems.
The first of these is the problem of properties. We might say that a leaf and a
tractor are both green. What does that mean? Is there such a thing as greenness
that the leaf and the tractor are both related to? If so, where is this
greenness? (In the leaf? in the tractor? in both? in the mind of God? nowhere?)
We will also consider alternate solutions to the problem of what makes
different things have the same property. The second problem is that of
modality. As far as we know, there are no mountains of gold or square circles
in the world. But there is a difference between these two. While there in fact
are no mountains of gold, there could be. But square circles are simply
impossible. What makes the one possible and the other impossible?
Much
of the course connects with the grand debate between reductionists and
anti-reductionists in various areas.
Reductionists account for a puzzling phenomenon, such as consciousness
or causation, by saying that instances of that phenomenon are nothing but
instances of some less puzzling phenomenon. Particularly common are naturalistic reductions where the less
puzzling phenomenon is one that is accessible to science (e.g., Òconscious
states are nothing but brain statesÓ), though not all reductions are
naturalistic (e.g., Òmoral duties are nothing but divine commandsÓ).
Texts:
á Some readings will be placed in the library on
reserve, and titles/links will be posted at least week ahead of time at
http://AlexanderPruss.com/classes/meta/
Grading and
requirements:
á There are 15 weeks in the course: most weeks have two
meetings, but the last week has only one.
á From week 2 (Sep 3/5) to week 15 (Dec 10), with one
week skipped (your choice!), you should write one paper per week, for a total
of 13.
á The paper must be handed in in Canvas on Tuesday or
Thursday prior to our class meeting.
á Unless special arrangements are made, the paper must
be on one of the pieces of reading assigned for the day you hand it in on.
á Each paper is 1.5-2 double-spaced typed pages long.
á At most one
paper may be handed in each week.
o
Every paper must
contain a numbered argument. The argument should either be validÑi.e., the conclusion
should logically follow from the premisesÑor else you should explain why it is
invalid.
o
The first four papers you hand in must do
the following: They need to identify a philosophical argument in one of the
readings assigned for the class during which the paper is handed in (if no
reading was assigned for that class, you can respond to any of the readings
from the preceding two classes, though without overlapping other papers youÕve
written), and carefully explain this argument. This explanation must be entirely in
your own words, and must not include any direct quotations. You must carefully state all the
assumptions in the argument, including any that are implicit and not stated by
the author, in such a way that a reader who did not read the paper could
understand the argument. You need
to carefully and precisely explain what the conclusion of the argument is. Finally, you need to explain why this
argument may be seen as important (so donÕt choose an argument where you canÕt
answer this part)Ñwhat larger philosophical issue would we make progress on if
the argument were successful. The
focus of the paper is on the argument.
o
Starting with the
fifth paper, the paper topics shift
to original philosophical argumentation on your part. These papers must also closely relate to
the reading assigned for the class during which the paper is handed in. The paper can be one of three
types. Please state at the top of your
paper which kind you chose that week.
¤ Type I: The paper begins by giving a careful summary
of one argument in the reading, and then gives an original argumentative attack
on the argument, making clear which assumptions or steps in the argument are
being questioned and why. You are
not to attack the conclusion of the
paperÑonly the argument itself. In
your objection to the argument, you must explicitly state whether you are
objecting to the argumentÕs validity
or to its soundness or whether you
agree that it is sound, but are concerned about some other argumentative fault
(such as begging the question).
¤ Type II: The paper begins by giving a careful summary
of one argument in the reading, as in a Type A paper, and then briefly shows an
important weakness in the argument.
The paper then modifies the argument in an original way, improving it in
such a way that it avoids the weakness.
¤ Type III: The paper describes an important conclusion
reached by one of the papers in the reading, and produces an original argument
directly for or against that conclusion.
If the original argument makes use of claims that some of our reading
argued against, you will need to respond to at least some these
objections. In general, a better
Type III paper takes up at least one objection to some point in its argument.
á If you never fall behind and you exhibit no failure of
academic integrity during the semester, I will (a) drop the two lowest-graded
papers when calculating your grade, and (b) count your highest-graded paper at
double weight.
á Late papers will be accepted until Monday, December
16, 11:59 pm. However, each unexcused late paper will be subject to a discount
of 8%, and if you have any unexcused late papers, you lose the bonus mentioned
above.
á A modest class participation bonus of up to 2% is
available.
á If you want an exam, ask the instructor for it no later
than December 5.
Paper grading scale:
The individual papers will
be given grades, either zero (not turned in, cheating, etc.) or between F and
A+. These letter grades will be
turned into numbers using the following scale:
|
A+ |
100 |
|
A |
96.67 |
|
A- |
93.33 |
|
B+ |
90 |
|
B |
86.67 |
|
B- |
83.33 |
|
C+ |
80 |
|
C |
76.67 |
|
C- |
73.33 |
|
D+ |
70 |
|
D |
66.67 |
|
D- |
63.33 |
|
F |
55 |
|
Zero |
0 |
In-between grades will be
interpolated. E.g., B+/B (or, equivalently,
B/B+) will yield approximately 88.34.
The numbers will be averaged (taking into account any dropping and
double-counting).
The final numerical grade
for the course will be turned to a letter grade using the rule that the lower cutoff
for a grade other than F and A+ is 1.67% below the gradeÕs value in the upper
table. Thus, an A requires 95%, an
A- requires 91.66%, and so on.
There is no A+ at Baylor and anything below 61.66% will be an F. The cutoffs will be sharp. Thus, if the cutoff for an A is 95%,
then 94.99% is still an A-.
Academic
integrity:
Credible suspicions of lack
of academic integrity will be typically reported to the University for further
investigation. See the honor code for details (you are responsible for knowing
the honor code): www.baylor.edu/honorcode
Plagiarism
is one of the most serious of the violations of academic integrity and consists
in presenting the work or thought of another as oneÕs own. If you are
using someone elseÕs literal words, even if only a short phrase of two or three
words, you need to put them in quotation marks (or in the case of a longer
quote, in block-quote format which is single-spaced and with every line
indented on the left) and give the source. If you are paraphrasing or
merely using someone elseÕs ideas, you still need to give the source
explicitly. The only exception to the last rule is that you do not need
to specifically give the source for ideas that you got in my lecture when
writing papers for this course.
Plagiarism
is not only immoral but foolish. A default penalty for a failure in
academic integrity is an F in the class since I cannot trust your other papers.
If you just hand in a mediocre but honest paper you will very likely (though I
do not make guarantees) get at least a D on the paper, and anyway there are
other papers in the course to pull up your average. And remember that IÕll drop the lowest
two grades if you never fall behind.
DonÕt
use AI to write your papers: thatÕs cheating and they canÕt do numbered
logically valid arguments.
However,
if you confess to plagiarism before I give you any sign of my suspicions
(before I email you asking you for sources, before I ask you to meet with me,
etc.), I will let you rewrite the paper and not proceed any further. (If someone has no sense of shame and
uses this as a strategy to get an extension, I may take adverse action.)
COVID-19 and other illness:
If you are sick with a respiratory illness (COVID,
flu, etc.), please do not attend in person. Let me know two hours ahead of
class and I will try to make sure that you can participate via Zoom.
The remaining sections of the syllabus
are adapted from Baylor sources.
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Students Needing
Accommodations
Any student
who needs academic accommodations related to a documented disability
should inform me
immediately at the beginning of the
semester. You are required to obtain appropriate
documentation and information regarding your accommodations from the Office of
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