PHIL 4000: Problems from Hume

University of Minnesota, Morris
Spring 2011
Professor Collier
Tu Th 2:00-3:40
Imholte 202

Course Description: David Hume is widely regarded as the greatest philosopher to ever write in the English language. This course examines the problems that Hume raised concerning our theoretical beliefs about the world. Topics include: universals, induction, causation, laws of nature, free will, and miracles, intelligent design, and evil. We will also investigate the responses that contemporary analytic philosophers have offered to each of these problems.

Course Requirements: Evaluation will be based upon class participation (30%), short "position papers" on each problem (40%), and a final paper (30%). The primary text is Hume's Enquiries Concerning Human Understanding, which is available at the campus bookstore. Additional readings are available on JSTOR or on e-reserve at Briggs library.

Course Syllabus

PROBLEM #1: UNIVERSALS

Universals I

Hume: Treatise, 1.1.7

Universals II

B. Russell: "The World of Universals", Chapter 9 of Problems of Philosophy.

H.H. Price: “Universals and Resemblances”, Chapter 1 of Thinking and Experience.

Univerals III

G. Rodriguez-Pereyra: “Resemblance Nominalism and Russell's Regress”, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 2001, 79, 395-408.

G. Rodriguez-Pereyra: “The Superiority of Resemblance Nominalism”, Chapter 12 of Resemblance Nominalism.

PROBLEM #2: INDUCTION

Induction I

Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Sections 4 and 5.

Induction II

B. Russell: “On Induction”, Chapter 6 of Problems of Philosophy.

P. Edwards: “Russell's Doubts About Induction”, Mind, 57, 1949.

Induction III

M. Black: “Inductive Support of Inductive Rules ", Chapter 11 of Problems of Analysis.

PROBLEM #3: CAUSATION

Causation I

Hume: Treatise, 1.3.14 and T 1.3.15.

Causation II

J. Mackie: "Causal Regularities", Chapter 3 of Cement of the Universe.

Causation III

D. Lewis: “Causation”, Journal of Philosophy, 70, 1973, 556-67.

P. Menzies: "Counterfactual Theories of Causation", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Sections 1-3.

PROBLEM #4: LAWS OF NATURE

Laws of Nature I

K. Popper: "A Note on Natural Laws and So-Called Contrary-to-Fact Conditionals", Mind, 58, 1949, 62-66.

W. Kneale: “Natural Laws and Contrary-to-Fact Conditionals”, Analysis, 10, 1950, 121-25.

G. Molnar: "Kneale's Argument Revisited", Philosophical Review, 78, 79-89.

Laws of Nature II

A.J. Ayer: “What is a law of nature?”, Revue Intenationale de Philosophie, 10, 1956, 144-65.

Laws of Nature III

H. Beebee, "The Non-Governing Conception of Laws of Nature", Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 61, 2000, 571-594.

PROBLEM #5: FREE WILL

Free Will I

Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section 8.

A.J. Ayer: "Freedom and Necessity", from his Philosophical Essays, 271-284.

Free Will II

P. Van Inwagen: "An Argument for Incompatibilism", from G. Watson (Ed.) Free Will (selections).

T. Sider: “Van Inwagen's Argument for Incompatibilism” (handout).

D. Lewis: "Are We Free to Break the Laws?", In G. Watson (Ed.) Free Will.

Free Will III

H. Beebee and A. Mele: "Humean Compatibilism", Mind, 111, 2002, 201-224.

PROBLEM #6: MIRACLES

Miracles I

Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding , Section 10.

Miracles II

J. Mackie: “Miracles and Testimony”, Chapter 1 of The Miracle of Theism .

R. Swinburne: “Miracles”, Philosophical Quarterly, 18, 1968, 320-328.

Miracles III

J. Earman: Hume's Abject Failure (selections).

R. Fogelin: “Two Recent Critics”, Chapter 2 of Defense of Hume on Miracles (selections).

E. Sober: “A Modest Proposal”, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 48, 2004, 489-496.

PROBLEM #7: INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Intelligent Design I

Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section 11.

Intelligent Design II

R. Swinburne: “The Argument from Design”, Philosophy, 1968, 43, 199-212.

J. Gaskin: “The Design Argument: Hume's Critique of Poor Reason”, Religious Studies, 12, 1976, 331-345.

Intelligent Design III

Collins: “The Fine-Tuning Design Argument: A Scientific Argument for the Existence of God”, In M. Murray (ed.) Reason for the Hope Within.

E. Sober: “The design argument”, In W.E. Mann (Ed.), Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion.

J. Weisberg: “A Note on Design, What's Fine-Tuning Got to Do With It?”, Analysis, 70, 2010, 431-438.

PROBLEM #8: EVIL

Evil I

Hume: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Section 10.

J. Mackie: “Evil and Omnipotence.” Mind, 64, 1955, 200-212.

N.Pike: “Hume on Evil”, Philosophical Review, 72, 1963, 180-197.

Evil II

Hume: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Section 11.

Rowe: “The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism”, American Philosophical Quarterly, 16, 335-41.

Evil III

Wykstra: “The Humean Obstacle to Evidential Arguments from Evil,” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion , 16, 73-93.

Alston, William P. 1991. “The Inductive Argument from Evil and the Human Cognitive Condition” in Daniel Howard-Snyder (ed.), The Evidential Argument from Evil.