Seminar on Theoretical Philosophy

Teacher(s)

Guay Alexandre (coordinator); Pence Charles; Verdée Peter; Verdée Peter (compensates Pence Charles);

Language

French

Content

Modality in philosophy : necessity, possibility, obligation, belief, counterfactuals

• Introduction to (the philosophy of) modality: historical and linguistic roots
• Kripke’s possible worlds semantics and applications such as metaphysical necessity, formal ethics, belief, knowledge, vagueness and justification.
• Counterfactuals and dispositions
• The metaphysics of modality: empiricism, pragmatism, modal realism, laws of nature
• Modality and reference: de re vs. de dicto, rigid designators, cross-world identity and counterparts
• Formal ethics
• Counterpossibles
• Modality without possible worlds: dispositionalism, truthmakers and inferentialism.

Teaching methods

One 2-hour session per week throughout the second semester. The majority of sessions will be chaired by a student who provides an introduction to the topic of that session and offers discussion points.
The seminar will take place in French. A solid passive knowledge of English is however necessary since much of the literature on the subject is in this language.

Evaluation methods

1. Active participation in seminar sessions.(2/20)
2. Chairing and introducing a seminar session (8/20)
3. A personal research work on the theme with oral defense. (10/20)

Other information

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Online resources

See course Moodle website.

Faculty or entity

EFIL