INTRODUCTION:

Due to contingencies of training and temperament, I take contemporary philosophy to be 20th Century philosophy, and analytic 20th Century philosophy at that. Thus, my aim in this course is to survey the seminal trends of analytic philosophy in the 20th Century, from its beginnings in American pragmatism and Russell’s break with neo-Hegelian idealism, to its current identity crisis and faltering attempts at self-redefinition. Following a short synopsis of the relevant background (e.g., British absolute idealism and early American pragmatism) we will examine logical atomism (e.g., the early Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein), logical positivism (e.g., Schlick, Neurath, Ayer) ordinary language philosophy (e.g., Wittgenstein, Moore, Austin, and Ryle), and current post-analytical philosophy (e.g., Quine, Davidson, Putnam, Nagel.). The course will focus epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language. But, we will still have occasion to deal with topics in analytic and post-analytic metaethics.

Though this may be your first substantive history of analytic philosophy class, bear in mind that it is not exactly an introductory course: I expect some prior exposure to academic philosophy on your part. The readings are generally quite difficult, and you can generally expect a long hard slog. Some prior familiarity with modern symbolic logic is helpful, but not absolutely necessary.

REQUIREMENTS:

The graded work in this class will consist of three eight-page take-home essay assignments (concise, comprehensive critical commentaries in which you summarize a paper and address all of the review questions that I pose to you); and a take-home final assignment in the form of a twelve-page paper. All of these assignments are posted online, and are to be emailed to me in the form of MS Word-compatible files by their assigned due dates. You can expect a written assignment approximately every four weeks, so plan to work  consistently throughout the semester. Attendance and classroom participation are both encouraged and required, and students are responsible for all material discussed in class. 

When emailing me a midterm, write “405 MIDTERM  #?”, where  in the subject line, and your name (LAST, FIRST) as the very first line of the document itself.

When emailing me a completed paper, write 405 PAPER” in the subject line, and your name (LAST, FIRST) as the very first line of the document itself.

When emailing me a paper draft you would like me to look at, write 405 PAPER DRAFT” in the subject line, and your name (LAST, FIRST) as the very first line of the document itself. Note that I will not be able to look at midterm drafts.

GRADING: The three précis are each worth 20% of the final grade and the take-home final exam is worth 40%. Grades will not be posted

ATTENDENCE: Attention to, and participation in, philosophical discussions is essential to learning philosophy. The only acceptable excuses for missing class are absences for proven medical reasons or proven participation in a university-sponsored extracurricular activity. You are allowed four unexcused absences; after that your final grade will decrease by one letter grade per unexcused absence.

By the end of the second week I will assemble seating chart to help me keep role. I will grade participation in the following manner: When I return your written work via email, I will mark it a check ("/"), a plus ("+"), or a double-plus ("++"), signifying the level of participation I have perceived so far. A check designates adequate attendance and little else. It neither adds nor subtracts from the student’s final score. Pluses add half a grade point to student’s final scores, and double-pluses add a grade point. You are free to take issue individually with my assessments, but only during office hours or by appointment -- never during class.

To make daily role-taking fast and easy and informal, I require that each student submit a “record page.” This is to consist of a letter-size sheet of paper onto which the student has photocopied his or her student ID. This "record page" is to be given to me by the end of the second class (after which I will start taking daily role). After this, students will be counted as "not absent" automatically until they have submitted a record page.

I also ask students to help me collect a email directory: To do this, send a blank message with your name (LAST, FIRST) followed by your email address in the from line. In the subject line, type “405”.

Grades mean the following:

A= exceptional work, genuinely outstanding

B= above average work but not clearly superior

C= average work for this course, the performance level I expect.

D= below average work

E= unacceptable work

CHEATING: If you are suspected of cheating you must be automatically reported to the appropriate student disciplinary authorities. If these suspicions are corroborated, your name must then be automatically reported to the other members of the philosophy department and you must automatically be failed for the course. This policy is automatic and completely out of the hands of the instructor. You are responsible for knowing the university's Academic Integrity policy Academic dishonesty defined by UNLV (see page 58-59 in the 2004-2006 undergraduate catalog or go to

http://www.unlv.edu/pubs/catalogs/undergraduate/pdf/main/acadpol.pdf.

DISABILITY ALLOWANCES: Refer to p. 34 of the 2004-2006 undergraduate catalog, or go to http://www.unlv.edu/pubs/catalogs/undergraduate/pdf/main/studentlife.pdf. Please bear in mind that neither laziness nor cluelessness are recognized disabilities at UNLV.

This syllabus is also posted on-line. From the UNLV homepage at www.unlv.nevada.edu, click on academics, click on departments, click on philosophy, click on faculty, click on Wilburn, click on Philosophy 405. Check this listing on a weekly basis to note any changes that I might have to make to this syllabus.

AGENDA

1.  Jan 21: Introductory Lecture: An Historical Background to Analytic Philosophy

2.  Jan 28: Peirce’s Pragmatism -- Charles Sanders Peirce, “How to Make our Ideas Clear”/ “Pragmaticism”

3.  Feb 4: James’ Pragmatism -- William James, “What Pragmatism Means” / “The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life.”

4.  Feb 11: Early Analytic Philosophy -- Gottlöb Frege, “On Sense and Meaning” / Bertrand Russell, “Descriptions” / Bertrand Russell, “Logic as the Essence of Philosophy” / Bertrand Russell, “The Relation of Sense-Data to Physics” Take-Home Midterm #1 assigned.

5. Feb 18: Early Analytic Philosophy -- Bertrand Russell, “Logic as the Essence of Philosophy” / Bertrand Russell, “The Relation of Sense-Data to Physics”

6.  Feb 25: Logical Positivism -- Hans Hahn, Rudolf Carnap, and Otto Neurath, “The Scientific Conception of the World: The Vienna Circle” / Sir Alfred Jules (A.J.) Ayer, “The Elimination of Metaphysics”/ Moritz Schlick, “Positivism and Realism” / Otto Neurath, “Physicalism” / Otto Neurath, “Protocol Sentences.” As opposed to what I hinted at in lecture, Read through all of these articles. We will touch on all of them in class. 

7.  March 4: Logical Positivism (cont.) -- Rudolf Carnap, “On the Character of Philosophic Problems” / Rudolf Carnap, “Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology”

8.  March 11: Logical Positivism (cont.) -- Carl G. Hempel, “Problems and Changes in the Empiricist Criterion of Meaning” 

9.  March 18: Ordinary Language Philosophy -- George Edward (G.E.) Moore, “Proof of an External World” / John Langshaw Austin, from Sense and Sensibilia / Gilbert Ryle, “Descartes’ Myth,” Take-Home Midterm #2 assigned.

10. March 25: No Class (spring break)

11. April 1: No Class (attending conference)

12. April 8: Ordinary Language Philosophy -- Ludwig Wittgenstein, from Philosophical Investigations

13. April 15: Ordinary Language Philosophy (cont.) -- Charles L. Stevenson, “The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms” (for background)/ Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret (G. E. M.) Anscombe, “Modern Moral Philosophy.”  

14. April 22: Recent Analytic Philosophy -- Willard Van Orman (W.V.O) Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” / Willard Van Orman (W.V.O) Quine, “Ontological Relativity”  Take-Home Midterm #3 assigned.

15. April 29: Recent Analytic Philosophy (cont.) --   Willard Van Orman (W.V.O) Quine, “Ontological Relativity”  (cont.)/ Donald H. Davidson, “On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme” Study Guide/Summary for Davidson.

16. May 6: Recent Analytic Philosophy (cont.) -- Saul Aaron Kripke, from Naming Necessity / Hilary Putnam, “Brains in a Vat” (if we have time).

Final Paper Due Day and Time: Friday, May 13 at, 5:00 pm. 

Links to online reference sources that you might find useful:

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://plato.stanford.edu/)
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/)
The Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names (http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/)