COVID-19 Post-Spring-Break Online Class Requirements
Revision:
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The 13 classes from March 17 onward will be online
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You are still required to do the reading
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You are required to make one discussion board post for each online
lecture
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13% of the course grade will be made up of completion grades for your
one-per lecture posts
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The posts are required within 10 days of the original lecture date; no extensions except for emergencies
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The papers will now be worth 87%
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There are now only 13 total papers required (so
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One paper is due every week starting the week of March 23
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Each paper must be on the reading corresponding to a different class
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Each paper must be on the reading for one of the classes that were
originally scheduled within the two weeks preceding your handing it in (see the
syllabus at alexanderpruss.com/classes/meta)
Philosophy
4321, Spring 2020: 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 105
Instructor office hours: MH 213: Monday and Wednesday, 10:00-11:15 am 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?
Finally,
we will discuss causation, which connects up the abstract and the concrete
problems.
Much
of the course will concern 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., Ňconscious
states are nothing but brain statesÓ), though not all reductions are
naturalistic (e.g., Ňmoral duties are nothing but divine commandsÓ).
Texts:
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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:
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You must write fourteen weekly papers during the
course of the semester. Each paper
is 1.5-2 double-spaced typed pages long.
The paper must be handed in at the beginning of class. Please try to distribute your papers so
theyŐre not mostly on Thursday!
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You are required to hand in one paper during each week
of classes other than the first (including the week where we meet only
once). It is your responsibility to
ensure you donŐt fall behind.
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If you do fall behind, please try to catch up as soon
as possible. You can hand late papers in until noon on May 7, but you will be
penalized for lateness. But itŐs much better than getting a zero.
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It is your responsibility to keep track of how many
papers you have done.
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Every paper must
contain a numbered argument. The
argument should either be validŃi.e., the conclusion should logically follow
from the premisesŃor else you should explain why it is invalid.
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If you are an
undergraduate student, 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, 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 donŐt choose an argument where you canŐt
answer this part)Ńwhat larger philosophical issue would we make progress on if
the argument were successful. The
focus of the paper is on the argument.
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Starting with the
fifth paper (this applies from the
beginning if youŐre a graduate student), 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.
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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 paperŃonly the
argument itself. In your objection
to the argument, you must explicitly state whether you are objecting to the
argumentŐs 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).
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Type II: The
paper begins by giving a careful summary of one argument in the reading, as in
a Type I 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.
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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.
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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.
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Class
participation is required and counts towards the grade.
Grading:
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 |
77.67 |
|
C- |
73.33 |
|
D+ |
70 |
|
D |
67.67 |
|
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), and a class participation bonus of up to 2% will be added. Then the number will be turned back to a letter grade, using the rule that the lower cutoff for a grade other than F and A+ is 1.67% below the gradeŐs 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.
Plagiarism
is one of the most serious of the violations of academic integrity and consists
in presenting the work or thought of another as oneŐs own. If you are
using someone elseŐs 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 elseŐs 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. My default penalty for a failure in
academic integrity is an F in the class.
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 IŐll drop the lowest
two grades if you never fall behind.
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 beyond the bare report to
Baylor required by Baylor rules and a recommendation of no penalty. (If someone has no sense of shame and
uses this as a strategy to get an extension, I may take adverse action.)
Special Title IX
notes:
The Instructor and Teaching Assistant are mandatory Title
IX reporters under both federal and state law, and are required to pass
relevant information on to the Title IX office, including Ňany information
regarding an alleged incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating
violence, or stalking, committed by or against a person enrolled at or employed
by the institution at the time of the incidentÓ. This includes any relevant information
disclosed in class discussion, papers or online discussion. You are always
welcome to reach out to the Instructor and/or Teaching Assistant for
assistance, but with the understanding that such information will need to be
passed on for your protection and that of others. On the other hand, the Baylor Counseling Center
as well as BaylorŐs Chaplain Burt
Burleson are available for confidential discussion.
The following two paragraphs are from the ProvostŐs Office.
The Title IX office understands the sensitive nature of these situations and can provide information about available on- and off-campus resources, such as counseling and psychological services, medical treatment, academic support, university housing, and other forms of assistance that may be available. Staff members at the office can also explain your rights and procedural options if you contact the Title IX Office. You will not be required to share your experience. If you or someone you know feels unsafe or may be in imminent danger, please call the Baylor Police Department (254-710-2222) or Waco Police Department (9-1-1) immediately. For more information on the Title IX Office, the Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Interpersonal Violence policy, reporting, and resources available, please visit the website provided above.
The remaining sections of the syllabus are adapted from suggestions
from the ProvostŐs Office.
Academic Success
I want to partner with you to help
you thrive academically. Be sure to take advantage of the many resources
available for academic success, including coming to see me during my office
hours. Students are encouraged to regularly utilize the great resources in the
Military Student Advisory
Veterans and active duty military personnel are welcomed and encouraged to communicate, in advance if possible, any special circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployment, drill requirements, disability accommodations). You are also encouraged to visit the VETS Program Office with any questions at (254) 710-7264.
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 accommodations from the Office of
Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA). Contact Information: (254) 710-3605 -