Day - Month |
General Lecture Topics |
Readings from Kane's A Contemporary Intr. |
Readings from Watson's Free Will Anthology |
Extras |
Exams |
Critical Reflection Papers |
19-May |
Introduction to the course |
Chapter 1 |
Introduction by Watson - pp. 1 - 8 only |
Aristotle - "Book III - Nicomachean Ethics" |
n/a |
|
20-May |
Determinism - Part 1
|
Chapter 7 (pp. 67 - 71) |
|
Stoics - Various Sources |
n/a |
|
21-May |
Classical Compatibilism
|
Chapter 2 |
|
Hume - "A Treatise on Human Nature" and "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" (up to part 2--pp. 80) |
n/a |
|
22-May |
The Consequence Argument and Frankfurt Examples
|
Chapters 3 and 8 |
"Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility" - Frankfurt; pp. 167 - 176
"Libertarianism and Frankfurt's Attack on the Principle of Alternative Possibilities" - Widerker; pp. 177 - 190 (at least thru section 1)
And if you're feeling your analytic philosophy oats, read:
"An Argument for Incompatibilism" - Van Inwagen (as much as you can); pp. 38 - 57
"Are We Free to Break the Laws" - Lewis; pp. 122 - 129 |
|
Exam #1 Handed Out |
Critical Thinking Paper - 1 due |
26-May |
MEMORIAL DAY |
MEMORIAL DAY |
MEMORIAL DAY |
MEMORIAL DAY |
MEMORIAL DAY |
MEMORIAL DAY |
27-May |
New Compatibilists - Heirarchical Motivation Theories |
Chapter 9 |
"Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person" - Frankfurt; pp. 322 - 336
"Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility" - Wolf; pp. 372 - 387
Helpful Reading:
Introduction by Watson - pp. 14 - 19 |
|
Exam #1 Due |
|
28-May |
New Compatibilists - Reactive Attitudes |
Chapter 10 |
"Addiction as a Defect of the Will: Some Philosophical Reflections" - Wallace; pp. 425 - 454
"Freedom and Resentment" - Strawson; pp. 72 - 94
|
|
|
|
29-May |
The Argument from Ultimate Responsibility
Determinism - Part 2
|
Chapters 7 (pp. 71 - 74) and 11 |
"The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility" - G. Strawson; pp. 212 - 228 |
|
Exam #2 Handed Out |
Critical Thinking Paper - 2 due |
2- June |
Introduction to Indeterminism
Extra - Factor Strategies |
Chapter 3 and 4 |
"Human Freedom and the Self" - Chisolm; pp. 26 - 37
"Freedom of Will and Freedom of Action" - Albritton; pp. 408 - 423 (humorously written)
Helpful Reading:
Introduction by Watson - pp. 9 - 13 and pp. 20 - 25 |
Lucretious - "On the Nature of Things"
|
Exam #2 Due |
|
3-June |
Simple Indeterminism
O'Conner
Causal Indeterminism |
Chapter 5 |
"Toward a Credible Agent-Causal Account of Free Will" - Clarke; pp. 285 - 298
"Agent Causation" - O'Conner; pp. 257 - 284 |
|
|
|
4-June |
Kane's Approach: Free Will and Modern Science
Sartre and Dostoevsky on Free Will |
Chapter 12 |
Explained also in:
"Responsibility, Luck, and Chance: Reflections on Free Will and Indeterminism" - Kane; pp. 299 - 321
|
These must be read for the lecture:
"Existentialism" - Satre
Dostoevsky |
|
|
5-June |
Determinism - Part 3
Eternal Recurrence: Nietzsche
|
Chpts. 6 & 11 |
n/a |
These must be read for the lecture:
Nietzsche - Various Sources
|
Exam #3 Handed Out |
Critical Thinking Paper - 3 due |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9-June |
Introduction to the Divine Foreknowledge Problem
Eternalist Solutions: Boethius and Aquinas
|
Chapter 12 (pp. 147 - 157) |
n/a |
"Divine Foreknowledge, Evil, and the Free Choice of the Will" - St. Augustine
"On the Free Choice of the Will" - Aquinas
This is required reading for the lecture:
"Fate, Karma, and Predestination" - from Solomon |
|
|
10-June |
Ockhamist Solution
Molinist Solution
Open Theism View
|
Chapter 12 (pp. 157 - 162) |
n/a |
"God, Time, Knowledge, and Freedom: The Historical Matrix" - Hasker
|
|
|
11-June |
Meaning of Life - Susan Wolf, and assessing the other positions
|
n/a |
n/a |
This is required reading for the lecture:
"The Meanings of Lives" - Susan Wolf |
Exam #3 Due |
|
12-June |
Types of Freedoms |
Chpt. 14 |
n/a |
TBA |
|
Critical Thinking Paper - 4 due |