PHIL 435/805 Selected Topics/Philosophy of Mind: Appearances

Fall Semester 2011 Evening

INSTRUCTOR  M. Hahn, WMX 4612

TEXT

• Readings will be provided by the instructor during the term.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The distinction between appearance and reality is as old as philosophy (and science) itself. Somewhere between Plato and contemporary philosophy, however, there has been a dramatic shift in the status of appearances. For Plato, they were fleeting, unknowable and not worthy of philosophical attention. But, at least since Descartes, they have been seen as more easily knowable than anything else and, by the empiricists, as the foundation of our knowledge. This course will examine the nature of appearances, paying some attention to their role in epistemology, but concentrating on their role in perception and on the more specific notion of phenomenal appearance. We will look at some of the history of the notion, but mostly focus on contemporary issues.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• A short (5-7 page) paper, to be revised and expanded into a term paper (15-20 pages)

NOTE: Prerequisite: two 300 level Philosophy courses.