Assignment:
Please choose ONE of the following paper topics. Papers should be 6-8
pages in length, due by class
Wednesday,
October 7.
I am flexible about
paper topics and length only
if you discuss it with me first. Rough
drafts are
strongly encouraged, but not mandatory. I will be accepting rough
drafts no later than
Monday, October 5. Also,
drafts will only be accepted in person, so please make an appointmnet
to see me. No
late papers will be accepted. Electronic submissions required;
additional hard copies optional. Go here for
some advice on
writing a philosophy paper. Please email me
or talk to me if you
have
any questions.
1. Lay out and explain the Ship of Theseus Puzzle. Why is ot a puzzle?
What are the available moves? Discuss either Chisholm or Hinchliff's
solution to the Puzzle (Hinchliff doesn't talk about this puzzle
directly, so you will have to apply his answer to another puzzle to
this one). Is this an adequate solution? Why or why not? Discuss any
objections, concerns, etc. Do you have an opinion on how the puzzle
should be solved? If so, explain, and support your claims.
2. Lay out and explain Chisholm's theory of Identity over Time. Make
sure to explain his distinction between identity in a 'loose and
popular' sense and identity in a 'strict and philosophical' sense. How
is this distinction supposed to help us with puzzles of identity over
time? Do you think this solution works? Why or why not? Is there a
difference, for Chisholm, between the identity of an ordinary object
over time and the identity of a person over time? If so, why and what
is it? Analyze and discuss.
3. Lay out and explain Hinchliff's Puzzle of Change. What
is the puzzle, and why is it
puzzling? What are the available moves? Discuss either Chisholm's of
Hinchliff's solution to the Puzzle (Chisholm doesn't talk about his
puzzle directly, so you will have to apply his answer to another puzzle
to this one). Is this solution adequate? Why or why not? Discuss any
objections, concerns, etc. Do you have an opinion on how the puzzle
should be solved? If so, explain, and support your claims.
4. Lay out and explain Hinchliff's solution to the Puzzle of Chnage.
Make sure that in so doing, you explain Perdurantism, Edurnatism,
Eternalism
, and Presentism. Do
you think that Hinchliff's criticism of Perdurantism and Endurantism as
solutions to the puzzle is adequate? WHy or why not? Do you think that
Hinchliff's solution is as effective as he believes? Why or why not?
Explain and discuss.
5. Explain the 'anticipation' criterion of identity, as discussed by
Chisholm and Perry. Give examples if it will help. Do you think this
criterion is adequate? Why or why not? Do you think that a distinction
should be made between the identity of persons over time and the
identity of ordinary objects over time? Explain. Discuss at least one
argument given by Miller to Weirob (in Perry's Dialogue) that is used
to convince Weirob that survival beyond death is possible. Do you think
this is a good argument or not? Are Weirob's criticisms of it fair? Why
or why not? Discuss.
6. Do you think that appealing to an immaterial mind (soul, spirit,
etc,) helps in the issue of personal identity over time? In light of
puzzles of ordinary objects over time--such as the Ship of Theseus--why
should we think that issues of personal identity are different (or
shoudln't we)? Do you think that a solution to the one of the puzzles
affords a solution to the other? Why or why not? Do you have an opinion
on how the puzzle of personal idnetity over time should be solved? If
so, explain, and support your claims.
**I may add one or two more topics by the end of the week, depending on
what we cover today (9/23) in class.**