Phil 4000. Problems from Hume: Theoretical Philosophy

History of Philosophy Seminar
University of Minnesota – Morris
Fall 2007
Professor Collier

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

Requirements: Evaluation will be based upon class participation, short "position papers" (for each problem), and a final paper. Primary texts include Hume's Treatise and Enquiries. Additional readings will be available on e-reserve at the library.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

8/30     INTRODUCTION
9/4       UNIVERSALS I: Hume
9/6       UNIVERSALS II: Price and Russell
9/11     UNIVERSALS III: Armstrong
9/13     INDUCTION I: Hume
9/18     INDUCTION II: Russell and Edwards
9/20     INDUCTION III: Black
9/25     INDUCTION IV: Braithwaite
9/27     INDUCTION V: Stich and Nisbett
10/2     CAUSATION I: Hume
10/4     CAUSATION II: Mackie
10/9     CAUSATION III: Lewis
10/11   NO CLASS
10/16   CAUSATION IV: Lewis
10/18   CAUSATION V: Hall and Paul
10/23   FALL BREAK
10/25   LAWS OF NATURE I: Popper and Kneale
10/30   LAWS OF NATURE II: Ayer
11/1     LAWS OF NATURE III: Armstrong
11/6     LAWS OF NATURE IV: Beebee
11/8     FREE WILL I: Hume
11/13   FREE WILL II: Ayer
11/15   FREE WILL III: Van Inwagen
11/20   FREE WILL IV: Beebee and Mele
11/22   THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/27   MIRACLES I: Hume
11/29   MIRACLES II: Mackie
12/4     MIRACLES III: Swinburne
12/6     MIRACLES IV: Cover
12/11   PRESENTATIONS
12/13   PRESENTATIONS

READINGS BY TOPIC:

(*) = available at e-reserve at Briggs Library website

Problem #1: Universals

Hume’s Treatise, T 1.1.7

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

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

D. Armstrong:“Resemblance Nominalism”, Chapter 5 of Nominalism and Realism: Universals and Scientific Realism. (*)

Problem #2: Induction

Hume’s First Enquiry, Sections 4 and 5

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

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

M. Black: “Inductive Support of Inductive Rules ", Ch. 11 of Problems of Analysis. (*)

R. Braithwaite: "The Justification of Induction", Chapter 8 of Scientific Explanation: A Study of the Function of Theory, Probability and Law in Science (pp.264-292). (*)

S. Stich and R. Nisbett: "Justification and the Psychology of Human Reasoning", Philosophy of Science, 47, 1980, 188-202.

Problem #3: Causation

Hume’s Treatise, T 1.3.14 and T 1.3.15

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

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

N. Hall and L.A. Paul: "Causation and Preemption", in P. Clarke and K. Hawley (eds.), Philosophy of Science Today, 2003.

Problem #4: Laws of Nature

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.

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

D. Armstrong, "Laws of nature as relations between universals", Ch. 6 of What is a Law of Nature?

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

Problem #5: Free Will

Hume's First Enquiry, Section 8

A.J. Ayer: "Freedom and Necessity", from Philosophical Essays, pp. 271-284. (*)

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

R. Kane: "Incompatibilism", Ch. 3 of A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will. (*)

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

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

Problem #6: Miracles

Hume’s First Enquiry, Section 10

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

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

J.A. Cover: "Miracles and (Christian) Theism", from Philosophy of Religion: The Big Questions.