graduate version
METAPHYSICS
Phil. 525, Fall 2015
Robert Francescotti
Office Hours (AL 438): Monday 5:30–7 pm, Wednesday 5:30–7 pm, Thursday 2:15–5 pm
Office phone & e-mail: 619-594-6585, rfrances@mail.sdsu.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course surveys a variety of fundamental issues in the field of metaphysics:
- the distinction between contingent and necessary truths/beings, the notion of a possible world, the
principle of sufficient reason, and how these might be used to try to prove the existence of God
- realism vs. nominalism regarding universals:: i.e., the issue of whether universals exist in addition to
the particulars that exemplify them
- whether an individual object (a concrete particular) is merely a bundle of properties, or whether
there is an underlying bearer of those properties (a substratum)
- the conditions under which a concrete particular remains the same thing (e.g., same object or
person) over time—i.e., what it takes to persist though time
- whether we or any other items have any truly essential properties or whether the “essence” of
something is merely a function of how we choose to describe it
- realism/anti-realism regarding truth: whether truth is mind-dependent, e.g., dependent on our
perceptions, beliefs, concepts or practices
- whether there are things that don’t exist (nonexistent objects)
The objective of the course is to provide a strong enough background in fundamental metaphysical
issues such as these that you are well equipped to enter graduate seminars in the area of metaphysics
and to conduct your own research on topics related to those above.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
You are expected to demonstrate the ability to
- clearly explain a variety of major issues, concepts, and distinctions in metaphysics
- clearly explain each of the metaphysical debates discussed in the class
- identify the main ideas of each of the authors discussed in class
- identify both merits of and problems with each of the theories presented
- think and write in a clear and logically rigorous fashion
- develop and defend your own views on topics in metaphysics
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Michael Loux, Metaphysics, 3rd edition (London: Routledge, 2005) on blackboard
- 2 course packets (Phil. 525: Readings I & II) at CalCopy
TOPICS & READINGS
1. Necessity and Contingency, Possible Worlds, Principle of Sufficient Reason, and God
- Michael Loux (2005), Metaphysics (London: Routledge), Introduction
- excerpts from G. W. Leibniz’s Monadology, 1714. From G. W. Leibniz: Philosophical Texts, R. S. Woolhouse and
R. Francks, trans. & eds, (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 1988.
- William Rowe (1968), “The Cosmological Argument and the Principle of Sufficient Reason,” Man and World,
vol. 2, pp. 278-292.
- Loux, excerpts Ch. 5 (the Necessary and the Possible)
- Alvin Plantinga (1974), “The Ontological Argument,” God, Freedom, and Evil (NY: Harper & Rowe).
2. Universals (Realism vs. Nominalism)
- Loux, Ch. 1 (The Problem of Universals I: Metaphysical Realism)
- excerpts from Plato’s Parmenides
- Loux, Ch. 2 (The Problem of Universals II: Nominalism)
3. Substratum vs. Bundle Theory
- Loux, Ch. 3 (Concrete Particulars I: Substrata, Bundles, and Substances)
- excerpts from Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Bk. II, Ch. 23 (“Of the Complex Ideas of
Substance”)
- excerpts from Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature, Bk. I, Part 1, Sec. 6 (“Of Modes and Substances”) and Bk I,
Part 4, sec 6 (“Of Personal Identity”
4. Persistence through Time
- Loux, Ch. 8 (Concrete Particulars II: Persistence through Time)
5. Essentialism vs. Anti-Essentialism
- more from Loux Ch. 5 (the Necessary and the Possible)
6. Truth: the Realism/Anti-Realism debate
- Bertrand Russell (1912), The Problems of Philosophy (Oxford: Oxford University Press), ch. 12, “Truth and
Correspondence.”
- Brand Blanshard, (1941), The Nature of Thought, vol. 2 (New York: Macmillan), chapter XXVI, “Coherence as
the Nature of Truth.”
- William James (1907), Pragmatism (Cambridge: Harvard University Press), Lectures II & VI: “What
Pragmatism Means” & “Pragmatism’s Conception of Truth.”
- W.V.O. Quine (1968), “Ontological Relativity,” The Journal of Philosophy” vol. 65, pp. 185-212.
- Loux, ch. 9 (the Challenge of Anti-Realism)
- Hilary Putnam (1987), “Truth and Convention: On Davidson’s Refutation of Conceptual Relativism,”
Dialectica, vol. 41, pp. 69-77.
7. Ontological Commitment and Things that Don’t Exist
- Quine (1948), “On What There Is,” Review of Metaphysics, vol. 2, pp. 21-38.
- Peter van Inwagen (1977), “Creatures of Fiction,” American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 14, pp. 299-308.
- Terence Parsons (1979), “Referring to Nonexistent Objects,” Theory and Decision, vol. 11, pp. 95-110.
ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING
Your final grade is the percentage of 630 possible points you earn on the following items.
EXAMS (300 pts)
There are three in-class essay exams.
Exam I is on Sept 21st (worth up to 80 possible pts)
Exam II on Oct 21st (100 pts)
Exam III on Dec. 14th (120 pts)
The exams must be taken at the scheduled times. I will allow make-ups only for those with a
compelling reason for missing, and I must be notified prior to the exam to judge if the reason is
compelling enough.
SHORT WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS (100 pts)
At most class meetings, I will assign a question about the readings to be discussed at the following
meeting. You are asked to answer the question in one typewritten page, and turn it in at the start of the
next class period.
TERM PAPER (170 pts)
12 pages minimum, due by 5 pm, Dec 17th. You will explain and defend your own conclusions
regarding one of the main issues discussed in the course.
PARTICIPATION (60 pts)
Class discussion (e.g., answering questions I ask in class, and raising your own helpful and insightful
questions and comments) will help you earn more of the 60 pts. Negative participation (not being able
to answer questions I ask about the readings, and of course disruptive behavior, such as chatting with
others during class, sleeping, fist-fighting, gaming, or texting) will take away from the 60 points.
Also, and very importantly, attendance will weigh heavily in calculating how much of the 60 you
earn since attendance is a necessary condition for even being prepared to discuss. Indeed, your
presence in class is itself the most basic form of class participation. So I will take attendance each class
and deduct points for unexcused absences or for repeated instances of tardiness. (It will be difficult, for
example, to achieve any more than half of the 60 pts with several absences.)
Here’s how the percentages convert to letter grades:
100
92.5
A
76.5
89.5
A–
72.5
C
86.5
B+
69.5
C–
82.5
B
66.5
D+
79.5
B–
62.5
D
C+
59.5
D–
F
Academic Misconduct: Cheating and Plagiarism
It is your responsibility to know and observe all the SDSU rules concerning academic integrity and
plagiarism. You should familiarize yourself with SDSU Academic Senate Policy on Plagiarism
http://senate.sdsu.edu/policy/pfacademics.html. Here are some highlights:
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Cheating shall be defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work by the use of
dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to (a) copying, in part or in
whole, from another’s test or other examination; (b) discussing answers or ideas relating to the answers on a test or other
examination without the permission of the instructor; (c) obtaining copies of a test, an examination, or other course
material without the permission of the instructor; (d) using notes, cheat sheets, or other devices considered inappropriate
under the prescribed testing condition; (e) collaborating with another or others in work to be presented without the
permission of the instructor; (f) falsifying records, laboratory work, or other course data; (g) submitting work previously
presented in another course, if contrary to the rules of the course; (h) altering or interfering with the grading procedures;
(i) plagiarizing, as defined; and (j) knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above.
2.2 Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another, whether
purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the University as one’s own work to fulfill academic
requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall include but not be limited to (a) submitting
work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; (b) omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions
that belong to another; (c) omitting quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph,
sentence, or part thereof; (d) close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another; (e) submitting another person’s
artistic works, such as musical compositions, photographs, paintings, drawings, or sculptures; and (f) submitting as one’s
own work papers purchased from research companies.
Disabilities
Any students with special needs due to a documented medical condition should avail themselves
of the resources at Student Disability Services, Calpulli Center, room 3101, (619)594-6473. Students who
have such concerns that might prevent them from otherwise doing well in this course should discuss
this with the instructor so that arrangements can be made.
“Student Disability Services provides support services for students with mobility limitations,
learning disabilities, hearing or visual impairments, psychological disabilities, attention deficit
disorder, and other disabilities. Counselors are available to assist students in making personal,
academic, and vocational choices, and to advise how best to utilize campus resources. Prior to receiving
assistance, students must furnish appropriate medical or psycho-educational documentation to Student
Disability Services.” (p. 33, 2015-16 General Catalog).
Religious Observances
“By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses
of planned absences for religious observances. Instructors shall reasonably accommodate students who
notify them in advance of planned absences for religious observances.” (p. 20, 2015-16 General Catalog).
Please notify me by the end of the second week of classes if you plan to be absent for religious
observances.
METAPHYSICS
Phil. 525, Fall 2015
Robert Francescotti
Office Hours (AL 438): Monday 5:30–7 pm, Wednesday 5:30–7 pm, Thursday 2:15–5 pm
Office phone & e-mail: 619-594-6585, rfrances@mail.sdsu.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course surveys a variety of fundamental issues in the field of metaphysics:
- the distinction between contingent and necessary truths/beings, the notion of a possible world, the
principle of sufficient reason, and how these might be used to try to prove the existence of God
- realism vs. nominalism regarding universals:: i.e., the issue of whether universals exist in addition to
the particulars that exemplify them
- whether an individual object (a concrete particular) is merely a bundle of properties, or whether
there is an underlying bearer of those properties (a substratum)
- the conditions under which a concrete particular remains the same thing (e.g., same object or
person) over time—i.e., what it takes to persist though time
- whether we or any other items have any truly essential properties or whether the “essence” of
something is merely a function of how we choose to describe it
- realism/anti-realism regarding truth: whether truth is mind-dependent, e.g., dependent on our
perceptions, beliefs, concepts or practices
- whether there are things that don’t exist (nonexistent objects)
The objective of the course is to provide a strong enough background in fundamental metaphysical
issues such as these that you are well equipped to enter graduate seminars in the area of metaphysics
and to conduct your own research on topics related to those above.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
You are expected to demonstrate the ability to
- clearly explain a variety of major issues, concepts, and distinctions in metaphysics
- clearly explain each of the metaphysical debates discussed in the class
- identify the main ideas of each of the authors discussed in class
- identify both merits of and problems with each of the theories presented
- think and write in a clear and logically rigorous fashion
- develop and defend your own views on topics in metaphysics
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Michael Loux, Metaphysics, 3rd edition (London: Routledge, 2005) on blackboard
- 2 course packets (Phil. 525: Readings I & II) at CalCopy
TOPICS & READINGS
1. Necessity and Contingency, Possible Worlds, Principle of Sufficient Reason, and God
- Michael Loux (2005), Metaphysics (London: Routledge), Introduction
- excerpts from G. W. Leibniz’s Monadology, 1714. From G. W. Leibniz: Philosophical Texts, R. S. Woolhouse and
R. Francks, trans. & eds, (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 1988.
- William Rowe (1968), “The Cosmological Argument and the Principle of Sufficient Reason,” Man and World,
vol. 2, pp. 278-292.
- Loux, excerpts Ch. 5 (the Necessary and the Possible)
- Alvin Plantinga (1974), “The Ontological Argument,” God, Freedom, and Evil (NY: Harper & Rowe).
2. Universals (Realism vs. Nominalism)
- Loux, Ch. 1 (The Problem of Universals I: Metaphysical Realism)
- excerpts from Plato’s Parmenides
- Loux, Ch. 2 (The Problem of Universals II: Nominalism)
3. Substratum vs. Bundle Theory
- Loux, Ch. 3 (Concrete Particulars I: Substrata, Bundles, and Substances)
- excerpts from Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Bk. II, Ch. 23 (“Of the Complex Ideas of
Substance”)
- excerpts from Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature, Bk. I, Part 1, Sec. 6 (“Of Modes and Substances”) and Bk I,
Part 4, sec 6 (“Of Personal Identity”
4. Persistence through Time
- Loux, Ch. 8 (Concrete Particulars II: Persistence through Time)
5. Essentialism vs. Anti-Essentialism
- more from Loux Ch. 5 (the Necessary and the Possible)
6. Truth: the Realism/Anti-Realism debate
- Bertrand Russell (1912), The Problems of Philosophy (Oxford: Oxford University Press), ch. 12, “Truth and
Correspondence.”
- Brand Blanshard, (1941), The Nature of Thought, vol. 2 (New York: Macmillan), chapter XXVI, “Coherence as
the Nature of Truth.”
- William James (1907), Pragmatism (Cambridge: Harvard University Press), Lectures II & VI: “What
Pragmatism Means” & “Pragmatism’s Conception of Truth.”
- W.V.O. Quine (1968), “Ontological Relativity,” The Journal of Philosophy” vol. 65, pp. 185-212.
- Loux, ch. 9 (the Challenge of Anti-Realism)
- Hilary Putnam (1987), “Truth and Convention: On Davidson’s Refutation of Conceptual Relativism,”
Dialectica, vol. 41, pp. 69-77.
7. Ontological Commitment and Things that Don’t Exist
- Quine (1948), “On What There Is,” Review of Metaphysics, vol. 2, pp. 21-38.
- Peter van Inwagen (1977), “Creatures of Fiction,” American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 14, pp. 299-308.
- Terence Parsons (1979), “Referring to Nonexistent Objects,” Theory and Decision, vol. 11, pp. 95-110.
ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING
Your final grade is the percentage of 440 possible points you earn on the following items.
EXAMS (300 possible pts)
There are three in-class essay exams.
Exam I is on Sept 21st (worth up to 80 possible pts)
Exam II on Oct 21st (100 possible pts)
Exam III on Dec. 14th (120 possible pts)
The exams must be taken at the scheduled times. I will allow make-ups only for those with a
compelling reason for missing, and I must be notified prior to the exam to judge if the reason is
compelling enough.
SHORT WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS (100 possible pts)
At most class meetings, I will assign a question about the readings to be discussed at the following
meeting. You are asked to answer the question in one typewritten page, and turn it in at the start of the
next class period.
PARTICIPATION (40 pts)
Class discussion (e.g., answering questions I ask in class, and raising your own helpful and insightful
questions and comments) will help you earn more of the 40 pts. Negative participation (not being able
to answer questions I ask about the readings, and of course disruptive behavior, such as chatting with
others during class, sleeping, fist-fighting, gaming, or texting will take away from the 40 points.
Also, and very importantly, attendance will weigh heavily in calculating how much of the 40 you
earn since attendance is a necessary condition for even being prepared to discuss. Indeed, your
presence in class is itself the most basic form of class participation. So I will take attendance each class
and deduct points for unexcused absences or for repeated instances of tardiness. (It will be difficult, for
example, to achieve any more than half of the 40 pts with several absences.)
Here’s how the percentages convert to letter grades:
100
92.5
A
76.5
89.5
A–
72.5
C
86.5
B+
69.5
C–
82.5
B
66.5
D+
79.5
B–
62.5
D
C+
59.5
D–
F
Academic Misconduct: Cheating and Plagiarism
It is your responsibility to know and observe all the SDSU rules concerning academic integrity and
plagiarism. You should familiarize yourself with SDSU Academic Senate Policy on Plagiarism
http://senate.sdsu.edu/policy/pfacademics.html. Here are some highlights:
2.0 Definitions
2.1 Cheating shall be defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work by the use of
dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to (a) copying, in part or in
whole, from another’s test or other examination; (b) discussing answers or ideas relating to the answers on a test or other
examination without the permission of the instructor; (c) obtaining copies of a test, an examination, or other course
material without the permission of the instructor; (d) using notes, cheat sheets, or other devices considered inappropriate
under the prescribed testing condition; (e) collaborating with another or others in work to be presented without the
permission of the instructor; (f) falsifying records, laboratory work, or other course data; (g) submitting work previously
presented in another course, if contrary to the rules of the course; (h) altering or interfering with the grading procedures;
(i) plagiarizing, as defined; and (j) knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above.
2.2 Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another, whether
purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the University as one’s own work to fulfill academic
requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall include but not be limited to (a) submitting
work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; (b) omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions
that belong to another; (c) omitting quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph,
sentence, or part thereof; (d) close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another; (e) submitting another person’s
artistic works, such as musical compositions, photographs, paintings, drawings, or sculptures; and (f) submitting as one’s
own work papers purchased from research companies.
Disabilities
Any students with special needs due to a documented medical condition should avail themselves
of the resources at Student Disability Services, Calpulli Center, room 3101, (619)594-6473. Students who
have such concerns that might prevent them from otherwise doing well in this course should discuss
this with the instructor so that arrangements can be made.
“Student Disability Services provides support services for students with mobility limitations,
learning disabilities, hearing or visual impairments, psychological disabilities, attention deficit
disorder, and other disabilities. Counselors are available to assist students in making personal,
academic, and vocational choices, and to advise how best to utilize campus resources. Prior to receiving
assistance, students must furnish appropriate medical or psycho-educational documentation to Student
Disability Services.” (p. 33, 2015-16 General Catalog).
Religious Observances
“By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses
of planned absences for religious observances. Instructors shall reasonably accommodate students who
notify them in advance of planned absences for religious observances.” (p. 20, 2015-16 General Catalog).
Please notify me by the end of the second week of classes if you plan to be absent for religious
observances.