Methods and Problems in Philosophic Thought

Phil C1010 -- Section 002 -- Call Number: 42302
Points: 3.0
Day/Time: TR 2:40pm-3:55pm
Location: 703 Hamilton Hall

Fall, 2000


 
Professor: Akeel Bilgrami Teaching Assistant: Kenneth Ehrenberg
719 Philosophy Hall 
 Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 pm and by appointment.
Office Hours: Tuesdays 4-5 pm and by appointment. Office hours in Hungarian Pastry Shoppe (111th St. / Amsterdam)
(212) 854-6971 (212) 491-2536
[email protected]
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The course, which is intended as an introduction to philosophy, will cover five topics which span diverse areas in the subject: moral philosophy and moral psychology, philosophy of language and philosophy of psychology, epistemology and metaphysics, and social and political philosophy. There will be a selection of readings from both contemporary and historical sources. However the lectures are not intended as expositions of these texts. They will instead use them as a stimulus to philosophically explore their themes. Class attendance, therefore, is strongly advised.

 
 
 

Requirements: 2 examinations, one short one at mid-term, and one longer one at the end of term.
 
 
 

1. Are there objective values?

Sartre:Selection

Williams:Selection

Hume:‘Of Virtue and Vice in General’

Hare:Selection

Mill:‘Utilitarianism’

Moore:Selection


 

2.Freedom, Determinism, and Responsibility

Holbach:Selection

Campbell:Selection

Hume:‘Of Liberty and Necessity’

Strawson:Selection


 

3.Scepticism, Old and New

Descartes:‘First Meditation’, ‘Second Meditation’

Hume:Pages 200-241

Putnam:‘Brains in a Vat’


 

4. Minds, Brains, and Machines

Descartes:‘Second Meditation’, ‘Fourth Meditation’

Ryle:Selection

Armstrong:Selection

Nagel;Selection

Fodor;Selection

Davidson:Selection

Turing:Selection

Putnam:Selection

Searle: Selection


 

5.Political Liberty, Political Power, and Political Identity

Mill:‘On Liberty

Berlin:Selection

Lukas:Selection