Syllabus

Metaphysics:
Persons and Properties
Philosophy 208

Fall 2009

Professor: Megan Wallace
Office: King 120D
Office Hours: TR 12-1pm, and by appointment.
Email: mwallace@oberlin.edu
Course Webpage: http://www.oberlin.edu/faculty/mwallace/Phil208F09.html
Where: King 123
When: MW 7:00-8:15pm

Course Description

Suppose you have finally decided to marry the love of your life. The two of you exchange vows and promise to be together forever (aw). However, seven years later you come home and find the closets empty of your spouse's belongings, some suitcases missing, and the following note propped up on the bedroom bureau:

“As we both know, human beings are made up of a collection of skin and bones and tissue and veins and millions and millions of atoms and particles. When we made our marriage vows, there were two distinct collections of particles exchanging vows. However, over the last seven years, those particles have changed: bits of tissue and skin have been replaced by new bits of tissue and skin. In fact, there is not a single particle that makes up me now that is identical with any of the particles that made up the collection of particles that made a promise to you at the altar seven years ago. Therefore, since the particles that make up me now are entirely distinct from the ones that married you, I am a different human being from the one who married you. Since we are not married, I am out of here. Good-bye.”

(Example modified from Michael Rea's in the Introduction to Material Constitution: A Reader)

Understandably, you are heartbroken. But, more importantly, you are feeling duped. Surely something must be wrong with the above line of reasoning (otherwise divorce proceedings would be a much swifter process). But where did your spouse's reasoning go awry? 

In the first section of class, we will discuss topics related to the above puzzle. In particular, we will focus on the nature of persons, and what it is that makes a person the same person over time. In so doing, we will discuss metaphysical issues such as identity, persistence, time, composition, and the mind/body problem. What sort of stuff are you made of? Are you identical to your body? To your brain? To your soul? Do you even have a soul? (Or did you have it and then sell it? If so, what's the going rate nowadays in these difficult economic times?) Is memory important for personal identity? If so, how? Is there any difference between what makes a person survive over time and what makes a mere object--such as a rock or a stone--survive over time? Or are we each--as the person writing the dear-John letter above assumes--just a mere collection of molecules? But wait! How could we be only material stuff, given that we certainly treat ourselves and each other as so much more? Some people think that one of the main differences between us and mere objects (such as rocks) is free will: we have it; rocks don't. So there. But are they right? Does your answer to this question square with what you think you are? We'll investigate the metaphysical issues of free will--in particular, whether there is any such thing, and whether we have it (or not).

In the second section, we will be concerned with properties.We say that objects have certain attributes or properties--e.g., we say that a certain person is tall, or has red hair, or is sweet, or is composed of millions of molecules. And we say that several distinct objects can share attributes or properties. Suppose I tell you that I'll give you 20$ if you can gather two things that are both red. Can you do it? Of course you can. This is because we readily admit that two things can both be red--there is a property (redness) that they have in common, or share. But what does all of this talk about things having certain properties, or sharing attributes mean? Are there such things as attributes or properties? What are such things like? Is our view of properties compatible with our view of persons (and things) that we discuss in the first section of this course? Stay enrolled and you'll find out!


Required Texts

There are no required textbooks for this course. All of the readings will be on-line and can be found either on the course reading schedule here (also linked through the course webpage here) or on Blackboard. Linked readings will be in the following sorts of formats: html, doc, and pdf. Please make sure that you can access these types of files. Also, there will occasionally be readings that are linked through JSTOR; you will need to be on campus or working through the University's proxy server in order to access them. Please get in touch with me if you are having difficulty accessing any of the material.

If you would like to purchase any of the books or anthologies that I used in creating the course reading list, you will find them listed on the main course page here, under 'Sources.' You can order them on-line through ABE books, or your preferred on-line site or bookstore.


Course Requirements

(i) 3 Exam/Papers 

There will be 3 exam/papers due at the end of each section. An ‘Exam/Paper’ is an opportunity for you to show off how much you’ve learned in my class by either (i) taking an in-class exam, or (ii) writing a (6-8 page) paper. Exams will be short answer/long answer format. Review sheets will be posted at the same time as paper topics. You get to choose (if indeed you choose anything at all) whether to take an exam or write a paper at the end of each section. Write only papers. Take only the exams. Mix it up. Go nuts.

Due dates for the exams/papers can be found on the reading schedule here (and on Blackboard). Rough drafts for the papers, while not required, are strongly encouraged. I will only accept rough drafts in person, during office hours—not over email.

(ii) Participation

You know the drill. Read the assignments. Come to class. Ask questions. Object. Argue. Debate. Email me. Come to office hours. Stay up late writing (philosophically) provocative posts on the discussion forums. You should be doing all of these things in every class anyway. But you’ll want to do these things in this class because philosophy is so mind-blowingly awesome, you simply won’t be able to help yourself from going absolutely bananas over it.

But...just to ensure enthusiasm, participation is part of your grade.


Grades

Your final grade in this course will be broken down as follows*:

First Exam/Paper                   30%
Second Exam/Paper               30%
Third Exam/Paper                  30%
Participation                           10%


*Caveat: You must turn in all of the required assignments in order to pass the class.


Honor Code

It is expected that everyone in the class has read, understood, and obeys Oberlin College’s Honor Code.

Bottom line: Don’t cheat. Or else.


Disability

If you have specific disabilities that require accommodations, please let me know at the beginning of the semester. You will also need to contact Ms. Jane Boomer, coordinator for Services for Students with Disabilities, at Peters G-38A, x58464.

Page Last Updated: Aug. 31, 2009
Back to Phil 208 F 09 Main Page
Back to Meg's Teaching Page
Back to Meg's Main Page