Topics in Metaphysics
PHIL 390
Spring 2011
| Section:
01
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This year our topic is metaphysics and Ludwig Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Until recently this enigmatic text had been read as presenting a metaphysical account of the world, and of the nature of representation, especially linguistic representation, in order to account for the necessity of logic. It had always been clear that this reading runs into difficulties with the book's apparent claim that its sentences are all nonsensical, but this difficulty was generally taken to indicate some sort of incoherence in Wittgenstein's project. A recent tradition in reading the Tractatus has attempted to take the nonsensicality of the text seriously at the same time as discerning in it a coherent anti-metaphysical mode of philosophizing. Our main work is to understand how the Tractatus attacks its own apparent theory of necessity, and to apply the lessons of this attack to evaluate contemporary views of modality in analytic philosophy. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA PHIL |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (PHIL)(PHIL-Philosophy)(PHIL-Social Jus) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Classic and contemporary sources.
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Examinations and Assignments:
One seminar paper, and possibly also other assignments. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This is an advanced seminar in philosophy, and so students will need to have a general background in the history of philosophy, such as acquired from Phil 201 or 202, and some knowledge of logic, such as acquired from Phil 231, Phil 290, or Math 243, and probably also one course in philosophy beyond the introductory level. In addition, this course is designed to be taken after a class in modal or intensional logic, such as Phil 291, offered in fall 2006, but may be taken without that course. I will advise students interested in the course but lacking the background in logic described above on readings to prepare for the class. |
| Instructor(s): Shieh,Sanford Times: ....R.. 01:10PM-04:00PM; Location: RUSLSEM; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 10 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 0 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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