SemesterFall Semester, 2023
DepartmentJunior Class of Department of Philosophy
Course NameMetaphysics
InstructorTSE CHIU-YUI-PLATO
Credit3.0
Course TypeRequired
Prerequisite
Course Objective
Course Description
Course Schedule







 


































































































































































週次



Week

課程主題



Topic

課程內容與指定閱讀



Content and Reading Assignment

教學活動與作業



Teaching Activities and Homework

學習投入時間



Student workload expectation

課堂講授



In-class Hours

課程前後



Outside-of-class Hours

1

Introduction, Existence

Introduction to Metaphysics,



Existence

Lecture, Grouping

3.0

4.5
2 Existence Quine and Meinongianism Lecture 3.0 4.5

3

The Self

Personal Identity



 



Lecture

3.0

4.5

4

The Self

Lynn Ruder Baker, “The Ontological Status of Persons"

Lecture, Presentation

3.0

4.5

5

Freedom and Determinism



 



 

Freedom and Determinism

Lecture

3.0

4.5

6

Freedom and Determinism

Peter van Inwagen, “The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism"

Lecture, Presentation

3.0

4.5

7

Time

Time

Lecture



3.0

4.5

8

Time



 

J. M. E. McTaggart, “The Unreality of Time” (Mind 17: 457–73)

Lecture, Presentation

3.0

4.5

9

Mid-term

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A
10 Necessity and Possibility Necessity and Possibility

Lecture


 3.0 4.5

11

Necessity and Possibility

William Lycan, “The Metaphysics of Possibilia" (Ref. 4)

Lecture, Presentation

3.0

4.5

12

Universals and Particulars

Universals and Particulars

Lecture

3.0

4.5

13

Universals and Particulars

Bruce Aune, “Universals and Predication" (Ref. 4)

Lecture, Presentation

3.0

4.5

14


 Realism and Anti-realism Realism and Anti-realism

Lecture

3.0

4.5

15


 Realism and Anti-realism Michael J. Loux, “Realism and Anti-Realism: Dummett's Challenge”, (Ref. 7)

Lecture, Presentation

3.0

4.5

16


 彈性補充教學週次 Research reading

Self-Study


 N/A N/A

17

彈性補充教學週次


 Research reading

Self-Study


 N/A N/A

18

Final


 N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A



 


Teaching Methods
Teaching Assistant
Requirement/Grading

Participants will conduct an independent mini-research project leading toward a final essay at the end of the semester. Besides the final essay, students are also required to keep a 'progress log' that records their research activities (e.g., reading reference, searching for articles, learning citation styles, study groups etc.) related to the independent inquiry. 



Metaphysical Inquiry (100%): 



Progress Log: 30%



Final essay: 70%



 



Assessment Criteria



90-100: The student is familiar with the thinkers' positions and elaborates on the arguments that support the positions. The student proves his/her independent thinking and understanding by critically examining the arguments and defending them against possible counter-arguments.



80-89: The student knows the thinkers' positions to a certain extent and shows an approximate understanding of the arguments. The student tries to develop his/her own critique or his/her own response to a possible critique, but the attempt is not effective.



70-79: The student conveys the central ideas in the texts/ of the positions correctly, but does not present the arguments in an organized, systematic manner. Nor does he/she consider any critique or possible answers to objections.



60-69: The student fails to explain the thinkers' positions or arguments and shows a seriously incomplete understanding.



Below 60: The student shows the problems mentioned above and fails to complete the assignment.


Textbook & Reference

  1. Beebee, H. and Dodd, J. eds. Metaphysics—Selected Texts with Interactive Commentary. Oxford: Blackwell 2007.

  2. Conee, E. and Sider, T. Riddles of Existence—A Guided Tour of Metaphysics. Oxford: Clarendon 2005.

  3. Kim, J., Sosa E. eds. Metaphysics: An Anthology. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell 1999.

  4. Gale, Richard M. ed. The Blackwell Guide to Metaphysics. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers 2002.

  5. Laurence, S. and Macdonald C. eds. Contemporary Readings in the Foundations of Metaphysics. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell 1998. 

  6. Loux, M. J. and Crisp, T. M. Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction. 4th Edition. New York: Routledge 2017.

  7. Loux, M. J. and Zimmerman, D. W. The Oxford Handbook of Metaphysics. Oxford: OUP 2003. 

  8. Lowe, E. J. A Survey of Metaphysics. Oxford: OUP 2002.

  9. van Inwagen, P. Metaphysics. 3rd edition. Boulder: Westview 2008.  

  10. van Inwagen P. and Zimmerman, D. Metaphysics: The Big Questions. 2nd edition. Chicester: Wiley-Blackwell 2008.

  11. D. Zimmerman (ed.). Oxford Studies in Metaphysics Vol. 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004.  


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