Proseminar (Fall 2012 | Rutgers | Philosophy)

Time/Location:

Tuesdays, 9:50 – 12:50
Seminary 3, seminar room

Instructors:

Branden Fitelson
Susanna Schellenberg

Description:

Philosophy proseminar, geared toward first-year graduate students in philosophy at Rutgers. We will study some highlights of 20th century work in analytic philosophy (focusing mainly on language, epistemology, and mind).

Requirements:

  • 1 question prepared for each class
  • 1 in-class presentation (~20 minutes) with handout (2–4 pages)
  • 1 final paper (15-20 pages) on any of the readings (due 1/6/13)

Schedule (subject to change):

  
9/4: Introduction
9/11 (Schellenberg): Frege, “On Sense and Reference”
9/18 (Schellenberg):

Frege, “On Concept and Object”
Frege, “Function and Concept”
9/25 (Fitelson):

Russell, “On Denoting”

10/2 (Fitelson):

Strawson, “On Referring”
Russell, “Mr. Strawson on Referring”

10/9 (Schellenberg): Moore, “Proof of an External World”
Moore, “A Defence of Common Sense”
10/16 (Fitelson): Ayer, Language, Truth, and Logic, Chapters I – IV
10/23 (Fitelson):

Gettier, "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?"
Dretske, "Conclusive Reasons"
10/30 (Schellenberg):

Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism”
11/6 (Fitelson):

Quine, “Reference and Modality”
Barcan-Marcus, “Modalities and Intensional Languages”
11/13 (Schellenberg):

Kaplan, “Demonstratives” (only pp. 483 – 517 are assigned)
11/20 (Fitelson):

Goodman, “The Problem of Counterfactual Conditionals”
Lewis, "Counterfactuals and Comparative Possibility"
11/27 (Fitelson): Putnam, “The Meaning of 'Meaning'”
12/4 (Schellenberg): Anscombe, “Intention” (pp. 1 – 24)
12/11 (Schellenberg):

Davidson, “Mental Events”