ClassInfo - Spring 2021 Philosophy Classes

Spring 2021 | PHIL 4101 Section 001: Metaphysics (65845)

Instructor(s): Peter Hanks
Class Component:: Lecture
Credits:: 3 Credits
Grading Basis:: Student Option
Instructor Consent:: No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:: Completely Online
Class Attributes:: Online Course
Meets With:: PHIL 5101 Section 001
Times and Locations:: Regular Academic Session

01/19/2021 - 05/03/2021

Mon, Wed, Fri 10:10AM - 11:00AM

Off Campus

UMN REMOTE
Enrollment Status:: Closed (31 of 30 seats filled)
Also Offered:: (Tentative) Fall 2022

Course Catalog Description:: Broadly speaking, metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality. Metaphysical questions include questions about what kinds of things exist, what is the nature of things, what are persons, what is possible or impossible, what is the nature of time, what is causality, and many other fundamental questions about the world. The aim of this course is to introduce students to some of the central questions of metaphysics to investigate some of their answers. prereq: One course in history of philosophy or instr consent
Class Notes:: This course is completely online in a synchronous format. The course will meet online at the scheduled times.
Class Description:: In metaphysics philosophers try to answer questions about what exists, what is real, what things are really like, and how we fit into the world. For example, are there non-physical abstract objects, like numbers or properties, in addition to material, physical things like apples and electrons? What are material, physical things anyway? What does it take for several material things to come together as parts of a larger, composite thing? Are material things spread out in time in something like the way they are spread out in space? What is the nature of time? Are past events and objects just as real as present ones? Is free will possible in a world governed by deterministic causal laws? What is it for one event to cause another event? These are some of the metaphysical issues we will be exploring in this course.
Grading:: Three short answer assignments (5% each), midterm exam (15%), term paper (35%), and final exam (35%).
Exam Format:: Multiple choice, true/false, and short answer.
Textbooks:: https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/65845/1213
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:: 20 May 2015

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