PHIL660: Core Analytic Proseminar

Harjit Bhogal

 

Course Summary

This class is an introduction to some classic work in analytic philosophy -- specifically work in metaphysics and epistemology. The primary aim of the class is to teach students how to write and discuss philosophy rigorously and at an advanced level. The secondary aim is for student to gain familiarity with key concepts and ideas that are influential in analytic philosophy. Thirdly, the course will involve work on professionalization, so students should start to gain familiarity with basic research skills and process of developing work submitting to conferences and journals.

Course Information

Instructor Harjit Bhogal Class Room SKN 1116 Class Time Tue 9:30-12:00

HB Office Hours Friday 9-11 on Zoom, or by appointment HB Zoom ID 663 599 6109 HB Email bhogal@umd.edu

Texts

Readings are below. They are all very easily accessible on the internet. Find them!

Assignments

Apart from the first week you will have a writing assignment each week. For the first few weeks it will be a short piece, either summarizing or raising an objection to one of the readings. Later we will mix in some other types of assignments.

You will also be expected to participate actively every session -- you should come to class having done the reading carefully and be prepared to share your thoughts.

Your grade will be based equally on completion of the writing assignments and participation. Everyone who does the writing and participates well in each session will recieve an A.

Policies

Policies relevant to graduate courses are found here. Topics that are addressed in these various policies include academic integrity, student and instructor conduct, accessibility and accommodations, attendance and excused absences, grades and appeals, copyright and intellectual property.

Schedule

9/2: Ontology

9/9: Necessity

9/16: Modal Realism

9/23: Hyperintensional Metaphysics

9/30: Grounding

10/7: Being a Grad student: Organization and getting things done

https://korman.faculty.philosophy.ucsb.edu/gradschool.pdf https://sites.google.com/view/heatherdemarest/productivity https://sites.google.com/view/eleonoreneufeld/resources https://elisewoodard.org/resources

10/14: FALL BREAK

10/21: Causation and Explanation

10/28: Levels and Supervenience

11/4: Explanation

11/11: Knowledge

11/18: Skepticism

11/25: Underdetermination

12/2: Social Epistemology

12/9: Being a Grad student: Conferences and Journals