Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy
Paradoxes and Puzzles
July 18 - August 5, 2016

 Director: David Boonin
Department of Philosophy
University of Colorado




course description: This team-taught course offers graduate-level treatment of a number of paradoxes and puzzles across a wide range of areas in philosophy.  It presupposes a strong undergraduate background in philosophy but does not presuppose any familiarity with the particular texts or issues to be discussed.

course format: This course is a seminar, limited in enrollment to 20 students, that involves a mixture of lecture and class discussion.

required readings: All required readings are listed below and are available as electronic texts linked to this syllabus.  Students are expected to come to class each day having done the required readings.  To make this possible, students should do a good amount of the readings prior to arriving in Boulder. 

course requirements: In order to receive credit for this course, students must submit a 15-20 pp. term paper by August 31st.  For students who take the course for credit and who choose the letter grade option, the final grade will be based primarily on the term paper, but class participation will also be taken into account.

additional policies: Click here for information on policies regarding the honor code, classroom environment, disabilities, religious observances, and discrimination and harassment.

class schedule: The class meets in Hellems 269.  The meeting time is 9:00 - 12:00 unless noted otherwise. 

July 18: The Non-Identity Problem (David Boonin)

        David Boonin, The Non-Identity Problem and the Ethics of Future People, Chapter 1
        Melinda Roberts, "The Non-Identity Problem"
        Elizabeth Harman, "Harming as Causing Harm" (optional)


July 19: The Paradox of Omnipotence (Dan Kaufman)     
        Erik J. Wielenberg, "Omnipotence Again"
        Wes Morriston, "Omnipotence and Necessary Moral Perfection: Are They Compatible?"  
               

July 20: The Mere Addition Paradox (Chris Heathwood)
        Derek Parfit, "Overpopulation and the Quality of Life"


July 21: Paradoxes of Infinity (Mike Huemer)            

        Mike Huemer, Approaching Infinity, Chapter 3
                         

July 22: The Trolley Problem (Alastair Norcross)

        Alastair Norcross, "Off Her Trolley?: Frances Kamm and the Metaphysics of Morality"

        Michael F. Patton, Jr., "Can Bad Men Make Good Brains Do Bad Things?"

July 25: The Sorites Paradox (Graeme Forbes)    
        Graeme Forbes, Modern Logic, Chapter 11

        Rosanna Keefe, Theories of Vagueness, Chapter 1                                              

 

July 26: Epicurus's Puzzle About Harm and Death (Mitzi Lee) (see detailed instructions about the readings here)
        R. W. Sharples, Stoics, Epicureans and Skeptics, Chapters 3-5
        Epicurus, Selections
        Lucretius, Selections
        James Warren, "Removing Fear"
        Voula Tsouna, "Epicurean Therapeutic Strategies"
        Thomas Nagel, "Death"
        Shelly Kagan, Death, Chapters 10 and 11  
                                   

July 27: The Puzzle of Skepticism (Matthias Steup)

        Keith DeRose, "Contextualism: An Explanation and Defense"

        Stewart Cohen, "Contextualism, Skepticism, and the Structure of Reasons"
        Matthias Steup, "Contextualism and Conceptual Disambiguation"


July 28: The Paradox of Knowledge (Graham Oddie)      

       Berit Brogaard and Joe Salerno, "Fitch's Paradox of Knowability”,  Sections 1 and 2
        J. C. Beall, "Fitch's Proof, Verificationism, and the Knower Paradox"
        Graham Oddie, A Refutation of Peircean Idealism" (optional)


July 29: Zeno’s Paradoxes  (Michael Tooley) 

        Wesley C. Salmon, "A Contemporary Look at Zeno’s Paradoxes"
        José A. Benardete, Chapter VI – Minims and the Continuum                                                    

  

August 1: The Moral Paradox of Nuclear Deterrence (Douglas MacLean)
        Gregory S. Kavka, "Some Paradoxes of Deterrence"


August 2: The Puzzle of Moral Perfection (Susan Wolf)
        Susan Wolf, "Moral Saints"
        Susan Wolf, "Above and Below the Line of Duty" (optional)
        David Boonin, "A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing" (optional) [link not yet available]


August 3: Puzzles of Quantum Mechanics (Raul Saucedo)  
       David Albert. Quantum Mechanics and Experience, chapters 1-4

       Alyssa Ney, "The Status of our Ordinary Three Dimensions in a Quantum Universe" (optional)

       Steven French, "Identity and Individuality in Quantum Theory" (optional) 

       Richard Healey, "Holism and Nonseparability in Physics" (optional)

August 3: The Puzzle of Free Will (Elinor Mason) [2:00 – 5:00 p.m.]
        P. F. Strawson, "Freedom and Resentment"
        Marina Oshana, "Ascriptions of Responsibility"
        Elinor Mason, "Do We Have Free Will? Does It Matter?" (optional)


August 4: Russell’s Paradox  (Michael Tooley)
        Andrew David Irvine and Harry Deutsch, “Russell’s Paradox”