masters proseminar
course #: PHIL 591
location and time: CLE C116, Mon & Thu 10:00-11:20
instructor: Mike Raven ( mike@mikeraven.net )
office hours: CLE B323 Mon & Thu 11:30-12:30, or by appointment
course website: http://mikeraven.net/classes/uvic/proseminar10
MOODLE website: https://moodle.uvic.ca/course/view.php?id=14655
(Deviations from this document made in class or on these websites overrule this document.)
overview
description
This graduate-only course focuses on the nature of philosophy and its autonomy.
objectives
This course aims to sharpen and professionalize one‟s philosophical skills.
heads-up
"Philosophy is the strangest of subjects: it aims at rigour and yet is unable to establish any results; it
attempts to deal with the most profound questions and yet constantly finds itself preoccupied with the
trivialities of language; and it claims to be of great relevance to rational enquiry and the conduct of our
life and yet is almost completely ignored. But perhaps what is strangest of all is the passion and
intensity with which it is pursued by those who have fallen in its grip." (Kit Fine)
policies
evaluation
The grade you earn is determined by the quality and timeliness of your own
work. You pass only if you complete all assignments and participate in class.
Your course grade depends upon your written work (2/3) and your participation
(1/3). The writing guidelines listed in the „resources‟ section offer guidance on by
what standard your written work will be evaluated.
Grades are given in accordance with the university‟s standard grading scheme:
A+ 100-90
B- 69-65
A 89-85
C+ 64-60
A- 84-80
C 59-55
B+ 79-75
D 54-50
B 74-70
F 49-0
late work
Unless a legitimate reason (e.g. illness, personal, or religious) is provided in
advance, late work will be penalized one full letter grade per day late. Do not
expect comments on late work.
extra credit
There is no extra credit; no exceptions.
plagiarism
Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. See the University Calendar for the
university‟s statement on academic integrity (e.g. plagiarism, cheating, etc.).
texts
The Philosophy of Philosophy, Timothy Williamson
* The reading schedule has links to online copies of many readings. You may photocopy the
rest from the hard copies stored in the course folder in the lounge‟s filing cabinet.
reading schedule
What follows is a tentative reading schedule. It is ambitious; we will do our best.
toward the “linguistic turn”: a potted history
week 1 (Sept 9)
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding §4, David Hume
week 2 (Sept 13,16)
Critique of Pure Reason Introduction, Immanuel Kant
The Foundations of Arithmetic §§3-5,12-15,87-91, Gottlob Frege
Logic, Truth, and Language excerpts, A. J. Ayer
week 3 (Sept 20,23)
“Truth by Convention”, W. V. O. Quine
“Carnap and Logical Truth”, W. V. O. Quine
“Two Dogmas of Empiricism”, W. V. O. Quine
“Reference and Modality”, W. V. O. Quine
turning away from the “linguistic turn”
week 4 (Sept 27,30)
“In Defense of a Dogma”, Paul Grice & Peter Strawson
Naming and Necessity, Saul Kripke
“Analyticity Reconsidered”, Paul Boghossian
“Essence and Modality”, Kit Fine
week 5 (Oct 4,7)
Introduction, Williamson
Chapters 1-2, Williamson
week 6 (Oct 14)
Chapters 3-4, Williamson
week 7 (Oct 18,21)
“Blind Reasoning”, Paul Boghossian
an alternative picture: philosophy as of a piece with everything else
week 8 (Oct 25,28)
Chapter 5, Williamson
week 9 (Nov 1,4)
Research proposal presentations
week 10 (Nov 8)
Chapter 6, Williamson
week 11 (Nov 15,18)
“Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”, Edmund Gettier
“Rationalism and the Content of Intuitive Judgments”, Anna-Sara
Malmgren
week 12 (Nov 22,25)
Chapters 7-8, Williamson
reactions
week 13 (Nov 29,Dec 2)
Book symposium (Philosophical Studies)
“Precis of The Philosophy of Philosophy”, Timothy Williamson
“Knowing the Intuition and Knowing the Counterfactual”,
Jonathan Ichikawa
“Reupholstering a Discipline: Comments on Williamson”, M.
G. F. Martin
“On Doing Better, Experimental-style”, Jonathan M. Weinberg
“Replies to Ichikawa, Martin and Weinberg”, Timothy
Williamson
Book symposium (Philosophy and Phenomenological Research)
“Precis of The Philosophy of Philosophy”, Timothy Williamson
“Williamson on the A Priori and the Analytic”, Paul Boghossian
“Reply to Boghossian”, Timothy Williamson
“Williamson‟s Philosophy of Philosophy”, Paul Horwich
“Reply to Horwich”, Timothy Williamson
“Understanding, Modality, Logic Operators”, Christopher Peacocke
“Reply to Peacocke”, Timothy Williamson
“The Metaphysical Conception of Analyticity”, Robert Stalnaker
“Reply to Stalnaker”, Timothy Williamson
Reviews
“Timothy Williamson‟s The Philosophy of Philosophy”, Hilary
Kornblith
“A Philosopher of Philosophy”, P. M. S. Hacker
assignments
In addition to participating in class, you will write three short papers, a research proposal, and
a critical notice. Topics and due dates will be announced in class.
paper 1
(due: Sep 20)
topic: TBA
paper 2
(due: Sep 30)
topic: TBA
paper 3
(due: Oct 14)
topic: TBA
research proposal
(due: Nov 8)
topic: TBA
critical notice
(due: Dec 2)
topic: TBA
resources
J. Bennett and S. Goroviz (June 1997), "Improving Academic Writing", Teaching Philosophy 20
Jim Pryor's guide to philosophical terms and methods
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/vocab/
Jim Pryor's guide to reading philosophy
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/reading.html
Jim Pryor's guide to writing philosophy
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html
Mike Raven's philosophy paper advice
http://mikeraven.net/docs/[Raven] Philosophy paper advice.pdf