Syllabus
Winter 2010, T 3:30–6:18
David Sanson
372 University Hall
Office hours: M 2:30–3:30; W 11:30–12:30 or by
appointment
sanson.7 at osu dot edu
Course Description
This is a seminar on impermanence, or, if you like, on the view that reality is fleeting.
McTaggart’s paradox will provide a jumping off point. From there we will go on to consider various puzzles about temporal passage. That will then segue into the more general question of how to understand what is at issue between those who take impermanence seriously and those who do not.
We will end by considering a puzzling set of issues having to do with individuals that do not yet exist.
Texts
Texts will be posted to the course webpage.
Requirements
This course has three requirements:
- Participation
- An Annotated Bibliography
- A Seminar Paper
Your annotated bibliography is something you need to start now: after reading a paper, briefly summarize the key points and your reactions. This is something you may already do with all of your reading (if not, you should). My aim here is to force you to do it with all of your reading for this course.
A complete annotated bibliography, including papers that we discuss in class and papers we don’t (papers that are assigned but not discussed or additional papers that you read in connection with your seminar paper) is due at the end of the quarter.
A seminar paper proposal is due by the end of week 6 of this quarter. A seminar paper draft is due by the end of week 9. The seminar paper proper is due by the end of the first week of Spring quarter.
Academic Misconduct
It is your responsibility to know what constitutes academic
misconduct. I will report offenders to the committee on academic
misconduct. If you have not already, take a look at http://oaa.osu.edu/coam/faq
Disabilities
If you need (or may need) an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact me now to discuss your needs. I will work with the Office for Disability Services to coordinate reasonable accommodations for any student with a documented disability. Office for Disability Services, 150 Pomerene Hall, 292–3307.
Email is the best way to reach me. However, I am not always online. Please allow me 48 hours to respond. If I have not responded in 48 hours please email me again, letting me know it is your second email (I won’t take this as harassment). Always include “Philosophy 863” or “Phil863” in the subject line of your email.