Advanced philosophical method (P01265)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PPL-P-VTPHILAPT

Part I. Conceptual analysis was once considered to be of primary concern to philosophers: to understand what phenomenon X is, they need to come up with necessary and sufficient conditions for something to fall under the concept of X that are independent of X-type concepts. Next to all such analyses have been confronted with counterexamples that rely on rational intuitions about how to describe possible cases. In response, some philosophers have given up on conceptual analysis altogether, some have adopted various weaker kinds of conceptual entailments, and some have argued that such intuitions are defeasible if the conceptual analysis in question leads to an otherwise explanatorily powerful philosophical theory about X.

Part II. It is perhaps rarer than we admit for there to be a knock-down objection to an established philosophical theory, and in choosing between competing theoretical accounts of the same subject matter, we often have to engage in cost-benefit analysis. This idea is often emphasized in the work of David Lewis, and we will look at how it works in trying to assess one of Lewis's own ideas, counterpart theory. Originally introduced by Lewis as a way of avoiding some difficulties in modal logic, for a while counterpart theory was heavily resisted by metaphysicians, especially under the influence of remarks by Kripke. But these difficulties were largely overcome, and it became a mainstream tool with useful applications far outside the problems Lewis originally discussed. More recently, however, there have been renewed objections to it. This part of the course will go into some of the details of counterpart theory, but it will also use it as a case study for shifting philosophical opinion and the way such opinion can be seen as expressing an implicit cost-benefit analysis.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Philosophy, (School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Schedule I)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) 30 minutes per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
12/02/2007	11:00	12:30			Kemp Smith Room, DHT

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will become familiar with the methods of advanced philosophy, and the course helps develop their ability in oral and written presentation of philosophical arguments