Honors Introduction to Philosophy, Sec. 003 (Gibbard)

Fall 2007

Syllabus

The readings are drawn from the anthology, Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings John Perry, Michael Bratman, and John Martin Fischer, eds. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007).

There is a Ctools site for information specifically for members of the class.

Office 2187 Angell Hall, phone 764-6892. E-mail: gibbard@umich.edu.
Office hours Wed. 2:30–3:30 and by appointment.

This is an honors introduction to a sampling of contemporary philosophical problems. Topics include determinism, freedom, and moral responsibility; skepticism and the problem of induction; mind and body; the nature of morality; the existence of God; perception and the physical world; and meaning, verification, and the possibility of metaphysics. Extensive and very careful reading will be required. There will be little lecturing, and we will expect to benefit from active discussion on the part of everyone. The other requirements for the course are three short papers (c. 5 pp. each), a midterm and a final exam.