Necessity and Identity

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Level: 
Master's
Course Status: 
Elective
CEU credits: 
4
Semester: 
Fall
Host Unit: 
Department of Philosophy
Academic Program: 
Master of Arts in Philosophy
CEU Instructor(s): 
Mike Griffin
Assessment : 
The format of the course is lecture and discussion. Students will be expected to attend classes regularly, prepared to discuss the assigned readings. The main work for the course will be a 4000 word paper submitted at the end of the term. This will account for 60% of the final grade. Students will write shorter papers summarizing the arguments of the readings during the course of the term. These assignments will help the student become familiar with the instructor’s standards and expectations concerning written work and will account for 30% of the final grade. The remainder of the final grade will be determined by student participation.
Full description: 

 The following is a tentative list of the topics and readings. We will aim to cover one reading per class, however, the discussions may be extended if there is sufficient interest.

1.         Modality and Identity before Kripke:

A. Quine, “Reference and Modality”

B Quine, “On What There Is”

2.         Kripke and the return of Modality: Selections from Naming and Necessity

3.         Necessity and Existence:

A. Williamson, “Necessary Existents”

B. Fine, “Necessity and Non-Existence”

4.         The Problem of Possibilia: Fine, “The Problem of Possibilia”

5.         The Ontology of Possibilia:

A. Full-Blooded Modal Realism: Selections from Lewis, On The Plurality of Worlds

B. Moderate Modal Realism: Stalnaker, “Possible Worlds”

C. Actualism: Plantinga, “Actualism and Possible Worlds”

D. Combinatorialism: Selections from Armstrong,  A Combinatorial Theory of Possibility

6.         The Identity of Indiscernibles: Adams, “Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity”

7.         Counterpart Theory: Selections from Lewis, On The Plurality of Worlds

8.         Essence:

A. Fine, “Essence and Modality”

B. Lowe, Two Notions of Being: Entity and Essence”

9.         Contingent Identity:

A. Gibbard, “Contingent Identity”

B. Yablo, “Essence, Identity and Indiscernibility”

10.        Other Issues I: Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?

A. Leibniz, “On The Ultimate Origination of Things”

B. Parfit, “Why Anything? Why This?”

C. Selections from the debate over Metaphysical Nihilism

11.        Other Issues II: Substance

A. Fine, “Ontological Dependence”

B. Lowe, “Substance and Dependence”