PL450 Topics in Metaphysics

This course examines three related problems in metaphysics: free will, time, and personal identity. The first problem concerns human choice. When we choose between two options, we feel as though each option is possible. Yet, there is good reason to believe this feeling is an illusion. Are human beings free or determined? The second problem concerns the nature of time. We feel as though time “passes.” But what does this mean and is it consistent with our other beliefs about the nature of reality? The third problem concerns personal identity over time. As we grow older we change in many ways while remaining the same person. How can we be both the same and not the same?

Our goal in this course will be two-fold: first, to learn how some of the best contemporary philosophers think through these problems; second, to think them through for ourselves. Our method will be analytic. By the end of the course you should be able to identify arguments, evaluate them, and construct supporting and counter-arguments of your own.