Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL2016: Metaphysics

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the place of metaphysics in the history of philosophy, to the challenges associated with the practice of metaphysics in contemporary thinking and with the principal problems that are presently addressed under the heading of metaphysics.  You will become well versed in the nature of these problems and how one goes about addressing them from ‘analytic’, ‘naturalistic’ and ‘critical’ points of view.  

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. articulate an understanding of the meaning of metapyhysics, the place of metaphysics in philosophy, various philosophical challenges to the status of metaphysics, and a familiarity with some range of particular topics in metaphysics and the reasons why they have merited philosophical attention;
2. analyze the metaphysical presuppositions of truth claims;
Discipline-Specific Skills3. expose and explore the metaphysical presuppositions at play in other areas of philosophy;
4. begin to consolidate philosophical concepts from other modules and begin to convey a sense of the unity of philosophy as a discipline;
Personal and Key Skills5. begin to identify the substantive presuppositions of worldly truth claims beyond philosophy; and
6. write coherently and cogently about the conceptual context of real-world beliefs.

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

Core Reading:

The core reading for the course is Kim &Sosa (eds): Metaphysics: An Anthology (1999). This includes almost all of the key readings for the course and I recommend that you purchase a copy. Also, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, which is free and online, contains many useful entries whichwill give you an appropriate grounding in each topic, but should not be used as a replacement for key readings. I will recommend additional readings in class.

1 Introduction -what the course is about, structure of teaching and assessment.

2 Existence

Reading:

W.V. Quine (1948): 'On What There Is'; Review of Metaphysics.

(In Kim &Sosa; and here: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/On_What_There_Is)

3 Realism and Anti-Realism

Reading:

M. Dummett (1982): 'Realism'; Synthese, 52, pp55-112.

(In Kim & Sosa).

4 Supervenience and Emergence

Reading:

J. Kim (1999): 'Making Sense of Emergence'; Philosophical Studies, 95

J. Kim (1990): 'Supervenience as a Philosophical Concept'; Metaphilosophy, 21

(In Kim & Sosa).

5 Identity over time

Reading:

R.Chisholm (1976): 'Identity Through Time'; originally published in his Person & Object.

W.V. Quine (1953): 'Identity, Ostension, and Hypostasis'; originally published in his From a Logical Point of View.

(Both in Kim & Sosa).

6 Persons and persistence

Reading:

D. Parfit (1971): 'Personal Identity'; Philosophical Review, 80

(In Kim &Sosa)

E. Olson (2007): 'What are We?' Journal of consciousness studies.

(and here: http://www.shef.ac.uk/content/1/c6/03/49/16/WAWpaper.pdf)

7 Causation

Reading:

J.L. Mackie (1965): 'Causes and Conditions'; American Philosophical Quarterly, 5

D. Lewis (1973): 'Causation'; Journal of Philosophy, 70

(Both in Kim & Sosa).

8 Mental Causation

Reading:

L. R. Baker (1993): 'Metaphysics and Mental Causation'; in Heil & Mele. (eds), 1993: Mental Causation; Oxford. (other entries in this volume are extremely good, too).

Block, N. (2003) 'Do Causal Powers Drain Away?'; Philosophy and Phenomenological Research

(http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/faculty/block/papers/CausalPowers.pdf)

9 Abstract and Puzzling Entities

Reading:

R. Sorensen (1999): 'Seeing Intersecting Eclipses'; The Journal of Philosophy, 96

R. Sorensen (2008): Seeing Dark Things. The Philosophy of Shadows,Oxford: OUP

G. Bealer (1993): 'Universals'; Journal of Philosophy, 90

10 Modality and Possible Worlds

Reading:

A. Plantinga (1974): 'Modalities: Basic Concepts and Distinctions; in his The Nature of Necessity, Oxford.

D. Lewis (1986): 'Counterparts or Double Lives?'; in his On the Plurality of Worlds, Oxford.

(Both in Kim & Sosa).