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.
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
- Active participation in seminar sessions.(2/20)
- Chairing and introducing a seminar session (8/20)
- 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
