Phil 190: David Lewis
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Tues., Apr. 1: no reading, first class.
Basic system
Thurs., Apr. 3: “Counterpart Theory and Quantified Modal Logic,” with postscripts (Phil. Papers, vol. 1, pp. 26-46) (note: this is probably the most technically challenging reading we will have, but, I think, necessary). Counterpart Theory (eCommons)
Tues., Apr. 8: On the Plurality of Worlds, §§1.3 (pp. 20-27), 1.6-8 (pp. 69-92).
OPW ch. 1 (eCommons)
Thurs., Apr. 10: On the Plurality of Worlds, §1.9 (pp. 92-6); §2.1 (pp. 97-101); §2.4 (pp. 108-15), §2.8 (pp. 133-5). First short writing assignment (for students in Group I only) due. writing assignment OPW ch. 2 (eCommons)
Tues., Apr. 15: no class due to the first day of
Passover.
Thurs., Apr. 17: On the Plurality of Worlds, §§3.1-2 (pp. 136-165). Second short writing assignment (for students in Group II only) due. writing assignment OPW ch. 3 (eCommons)
Tues., Apr. 22: (The class originally scheduled for this date
has been rescheduled due to the last day of Passover, see below).
Wed., Apr. 23 (at noon in Merrill 002): On the Plurality of Worlds, §§4.1-3 (pp. 192-220). A video of this class is available on YouTube for those who missed it. OPW ch. 4 (eCommons) video (YouTube)
Methodology
Thurs., Apr. 24: Carnap, “Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology”; Quine, “On Carnap's Views on Ontology”; Carnap, reply to Quine's “Carnap and Logical Truth.” Third short writing assignment (for students in Group III only) due. writing assignment ES&O (eCommons) On Carnap's Views (eCommons) On Carnap's Views (eCommons)
Tues., Apr. 29: Introduction to Philosophical Papers,
volume I (pp. ix-xii); “Holes” (with Stephanie Lewis) (Phil. Papers, vol. 1, pp. 3-9).
Intro to Phil. Papers (eCommons)
Holes (eCommons)
Thurs., May 1: “Languages and Language”(Phil. Papers, vol. 1, pp. 163-188). Fourth short writing assignment (for students in Group IV only) due. writing assignment Languages and Language (eCommons)
Tues., May 6: “Scorekeeping in a Language Game” (Phil. Papers, vol. 1, pp. 233-49).
Scorekeeping (eCommons)
Thurs., May 8: “Academic appointments: Why ignore the advantage of being right?” (Papers in Ethics, pp. 187-200); “Noneism or Allism?” (Papers in Metaphysics, pp. 152-63). Fifth short writing assignment (for students in Group I only) due. writing assignment Appointments (eCommons) Noneism (eCommons)
The possibility of science and of meaningful thought
Tues., May 13: Carnap, Aufbau, §§1-2, 14-16, 61-4, 67, 75-8, 124-6, 153-5, 165; “Meaning and Synomymy in Natural Languages”; Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism,'' §5; “Ontological Relativity.” Aufbau (eCommons) Meaning and Synonymy (eCommons) Two Dogmas (eCommons) Ontological Relativity (eCommons)
Thurs., May 15: “New Work for a Theory of Universals,” beginning (Papers in Metaphysics, pp. 8-25, through end of the section titled “ONE OVER MANY”). Sixth short writing assignment (for students in Group II only) due. writing assignment New Work (eCommons)
Tues., May 20: “New Work for a Theory of Universals,” end (Papers in Metaphysics, pp. 25-55).
Thurs., May 22: “Causation” (Phil. Papers, vol. 2, pp. 159-72; postscripts, pp. 172-213, recommended but not required). Seventh short writing assignment (for students in Group III only) due. writing assignment Causation (eCommons)
Tues., May 27: “How to Define Theoretical Terms” (Phil. Papers,
vol. 1, pp. 78-95).
Theoretical Terms (eCommons)
Thurs., May 29: “Radical Interpretation,” with postscripts (Phil. Papers, vol. 1, pp. 108-21). Eighth short writing assignment (for students in Group IV only) due. writing assignment Radical Interp. (eCommons)
Tues., Jun. 3: “Putnam's Paradox,” (Papers in Metaphysics,
pp. 56-77).
Putnam's Paradox (eCommons)
Thurs., Jun. 5: no class due to Shavuot.
Tues., Jun. 10: final paper due.
final paper