Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology

Personal Identity

 

 

Instructor: Nicholas Silins

Email: ns74@nyu.edu

Office: 503P Silver Center

Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-3 or by appointment

 

Course: V83.0103-001

Time: MW 4:55-6:10

Location: 194 Mercer, 201

 

Course Description

 

This course will focus on the metaphysics of human persons.  The human organism where you are could continue to live as a human vegetable, without any psychology.  But could you outlive any changes in your psychology, however extreme?   If not, what is the relation between you and the human organism where you are?   We will address these and other questions about human persons in connection with more general questions about the metaphysics of objects which exist in space and time.

 

Requirements

 

Grade Distribution

 

Two papers will count for 35% and 55% of the final grade.  Class participation will count for 10% of the final grade.

 

Papers

 

One paper of 7-10 pages double-spaced, due on March 9.

One paper of 10-15 pages double-spaced, due on May 2.

 

You are encouraged, but not required, to submit rough drafts of the papers.  The optional rough draft of the first paper is due on Wednesday March 2.  The optional rough draft of the second paper is due on Monday April 25.

 

Late papers will be marked down by 1/3 of a letter grade for each day the paper is late (for example, from A to A-, from A- to B+, and so on).  If you complete a late paper during the weekend, you should email it to me as soon as it is done, and then hand in a paper copy.

 

            Extensions will be not be granted except in extreme circumstances.

 

Plagiarism is sufficient grounds for an F in the course.  Please contact me if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism. 

 
Class Meetings

 

Attendance is required.  It is also crucial to doing well in the course.

 

Readings

 

The reading assignments will typically be short but difficult.  I strongly recommend reading each assignment twice.  You must do the reading assigned before class. 

 

Materials

 

The core text for the seminar is The Human Animal, by Eric Olson.  It is available at the University Book Store, or for free at

http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/

 

All other materials will either be distributed in class or made available on the

web.   

 

Provisional Outline

 

Part I. The Psychological Approach

 

Week 1: Course Introduction

 

Week 2: Introduction of the Psychological Approach

 

            Shoemaker, selections from "Personal Identity: a Materialist's Account"

 

Week 3: The Motivation of the Psychological Approach, I

 

Johnston, "Human Beings"

 

Week 4: The Motivation of the Psychological Approach, II

 

Olson, chapter 3

 

Week 5: Arguing Against the Psychological Approach I: The Fetus Argument

 

Olson, chapter 4

 

Week 6: Arguing Against the Psychological Approach II: The Too Many Minds Problem

 

Olson, chapter 5

Shoemaker, "Self, Body, and Coincidence", selection

 

Week 7: The Biological Approach

 

Olson, chapter 6

 

Week 8: Functionalism and Personal Identity

 

Shoemaker, "Self, Body, and Coincidence," continued

 

Week 9: Constitution and Personal Identity

 

Baker, selections from Persons and Bodies: A Constitution View

 

Part II: Temporal Parts and Personal Identity

 

Week 10: Formulation of Four-Dimensionalism. Defense, I

 

Sider, selections from Four-Dimensionalism

Lewis, postscript to "Survival and Identity"

 

Week 11: Defense of Four-Dimensionalism, II

 

Sider, selections from Four-Dimensionalism

 

Week 12: First Application of Temporal Parts

 

Lewis, "Survival and Identity"        

Parfit, "Lewis, Perry, and What Matters"

 

Week 13: Second Application of Temporal Parts

 

Sider, selections from Four-Dimensionalism

 

Week 14: Temporal Parts and the Too Many Minds Problem

 

            Zimmerman, "Material Persons"