Advanced Seminar in Metaphysics

This seminar addresses core issues in the metaphysics of mind.Topics to be discussed may include the nature of persons and personal identity, whether physicalism is true, what is the relation of mind to reality in general, the nature of animal minds and the question of whether machines can possess minds.

This version of the course will focus on Frank Jackson's famous knowledge argument and the host of responses collected together in the book There's Something About Mary.

Instructor: William Seager.
Office: PO102:103.
E-mail: seager@utsc.utoronto.ca
Office Hrs: Wednesdays 2-3pm, or by appointment.

There's Something About Mary: Essays on Phenomenal Consciousness and Frank Jackson's Knowledge Argument
P. Ludlow, Y. Nagasawa, D. Stoljar (eds.)

My goal is to get through all of our text book. That means reading slightly more than one chapter every week, which is what we will aim for.

The final grade will be based on two term papers (worth 30% of the final grade each), a set of weekly exercises to be handed in each week at class (worth altogether 5% of the final grade), class participation, i.e. attendance and discussion, (worth 5% of the final grade) and a seminar presentation (worth 30% of final grade).

The Papers: these will be on topics towait be provided on this web page. The paper should be no more than 2000 words long and no less than 1800 words long.
     Philosophy demands hard and careful thought, and such thought deserves clear and well organized writing for its expression. Some advice on writing philosophy papers will of course be provided in class. The author of our textbook also has some advice at the end of his book (see "Paper Writing Tips") and here are a couple of links: Peter Horban's Writing a Philosophy Paper; James Pryor's Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper.
     Note also that late essays are not acceptable unless you have a valid reason for not being able to produce the essay in a timely fashion. I *may* accept late essays one week late with a one grade (10%) penalty. Please discuss any problems with me.

The Weekly Exercises: these will be sets of questions about the current readings. The questions will mostly be obvious and based entirely on the readings. Your answers will not be graded - you will receive credit for handing in your work ON TIME so long as a good faith effort has been made. Altogether, they are worth 5% of the final grade so you needn't feel devastated if you miss one. But it's an easy 5% and will help you keep up with the reading.

Class Participation: it is expected that students will have studied the readings and will attend class prepared to raise questions about the readings and engage in discussion with myself and other students on the material.

The Seminar Presentation. Each student is expected to make a presentation on the readings of a particular week (there will mostly be two seminar presentation per class in order to allow everyone time to present). Seminars should take up about 30 minutes (plus discussion time). They should provide a good overview and outline of the reading and raise philosophical issues sparked by the reading.

Thursday, January 7, 2015: First meeting of PHLD79S, 11am @ IC120.
Sunday, January 18, 2015: Last day to add S classes.
Monday, February 16, 2015 - Friday, February 20, 2015: Reading Week (no classes).
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 by 11:59pm: TERM PAPER I due. Topics here.
Sunday, March 22, 2015: Last day to drop S courses without academic penalty and have them removed from the transcript (on ROSI only).
Wednesay, April 1, 2015: Final Class.
Wednesday, April 8 by 11:59pm, 2015: TERM PAPER II due. Topics here.
April 7-9, 2015: Study Break.
Thursday, April 9, 2015: Last day to drop UTSC S and Y courses (on eService only) and have them remain on the transcript with a grade of LWD indicating withdrawal without academic penalty. After this date grades are assigned whether or not course work is completed (with a '0' assigned for Incomplete work) and they are calculated into GPAs.

Week of January 5: Introductory Meeting - Class Overview.
Week of January 12: Reading Jackson "Epiphenomenal Qualia" and "What Mary Didn't Know"
Week of January 19: Reading Dennett "'Epiphenomenal' Qualia?" and Robinson "Dennett..."
Week of January 26: Reading Lewis "What Experience Teaches"
Week of February 2: Finishing Lewis; reading Tye "Knowing What It Is Like".
Week of February 9: Finishing Tye; reading Bigelow and Pargetter.
Week of February 23: Finishing Bigelow and Pargetter; reading Conee.
Week of March 2: Finishing Conee; reading Churchland.
Week of March 9: Reading Loar and Nida-Rümelin.
Week of March 16: Reading Chalmers and Horgan.
Week of March 23: Reading Stoljar and van Gulick.
Week of March 30: Reading (all of!) Pettit, Hellie and Jackson (chs. 18/19/20).

Week	Topic	Student
Jan. 28	Lewis Paper	Shant Bedankian
Feb. 4	Tye Paper	Daniela G. Gonzalez
Feb. 11	Bigelow & Parg.	Vittorio Di Minno
Feb. 25	Conee	Xiao Gao
Mar. 4	Churchland	Beatrice Zhou
Mar. 11	Loar	Amir Ayazi
Mar. 11	Loar	Keshu Pan
Mar. 11	Nida-Rümelin	Christian Spillane
Mar. 18	Chalmers A	Heather Hutchinson
Mar. 18	Chalmers B	Tayler Hill

Week	Topic	Student
Mar. 18	Horgan	David Komacki
March 25	Van Gulick	Natalie Wong
March 25	Stoljar	Jia Chen
April 1	Pettit	Michael Derewonko
April 1	Pettit	Mary Kudolo
April 1	Pettit	Nick Dodson
April 1	Hellie	Jeremy Hon
April 1	Hellie	Reaz Huq
April 1	Jackson (ch. 18/19)	Boris Zipilevich
April 1	Jackson (M&I)	Matthew Bearden

Assignment 1, due Wednesday, January 14 (in class). (Get assignment 1.)
Assignment 2, due Wednesday, January 21 (in class). (Get assignment 2.)
Assignment 3, due Wednesday, January 28 (in class). (Get assignment 3.)
Assignment 4, due Wednesday, February 4 (in class). (Get assignment 4.)
Assignment 5, due Wednesday, February 11 (in class). (Get assignment 5.)
Assignment 6, due Wednesday, February 25 (in class). (Get assignment 6.)
Assignment 7, due Wednesday, March 4 (in class). (Get assignment 7.)
Assignment 8, due Wednesday, March 11 (in class). (Get assignment 8.)
Assignment 9, due Wednesday, March 18 (in class). (Get assignment 9.)
Assignment 10, due Wednesday, March 25 (in class). (Get assignment 10.)
Assignment 11, due Wednesday, April 1 (in class). (Get assignment 11.)