puzzles and paradoxes
Course description. Paradoxes have formed a central topic of philosophical investigation, stretching back from Zeno of Elea up to David Lewis. Paradoxes figure both in influential arguments for philosophical theses and in famous (alleged) refutations of philosophical theses. This course provides an overview of a number of famous philosophical puzzles and paradoxes and important attempts to solve them. In so doing students will be introduced to some important issues in philosophy of language, philosophical logic, decision theory, and formal epistemology. The course will put emphasis on both methodology and philosophical content.
Lecturer: Brian Rabern
Office: 4.04c, Dugald Stewart Building, University of Edinburgh
Office hours: Tues 11-12 and by appointment
Email: brian.rabern[at]ed.ac.uk
Time/Location:
Course Texts:
- Sorensen (2005) A Brief History of the Paradox: Philosophy and the Labyrinths of the Mind, Oxford University Press.
- Sainsbury (2009) Paradoxes, Cambridge University Press.
- Clark (2012) Paradoxes from A to Z, Routledge.
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week | date | topic | read | group |
1 | Sainsbury: 1-3; Sorensen: 1-18 | |||
2 | The liar paradox | Rob | ||
3 | Russell's paradox | Sainsbury: 123-127; Sorensen: 316-332; Clark: 211-216; SEP: Russell's paradox | Bill & Rafe | |
4 | Paradox of the question | Archie & Ben | ||
5 | The sorites paradox | Alex & Meg | ||
6 | Cartwright's paradox | Nick & Henry | ||
7 | Surprise exam | Sainsbury: 107-120 Clark: 256-258; SEP: Epistemic paradoxes | Louise | |
8 | Muddy children | Walter & Jemima | ||
9 | Newcomb's paradox | Abby & Vanessa | ||
10 | St. Petersburg paradox | Sorensen: 232-234; Clark: 217-220; | Gabriel & Kara | |
11 | The truth machines |
Assessment:
Presentations: 20% of final grade
[participation (10%) + presentation (10%)]
Final essay: 80% of final grade
2500 words
due: Thursday 26th April 2018 by 12pm
MSc students: final essay only, 2500 words
due:
Course related links:
- The egg came before the chicken, Sorenson
- The Web Page That Cannot Exist, Pullum
- Pages that don't self link
- On vagueness, or, when is a heap of sand not a heap of sand?
- Frege/Russell correspondence on the paradox
- Graham Priest's lecture on Frege's legacy
- Slides on Frege, Russell, and the paradox
- "What the Tortoise Said to Achilles", by Lewis Carroll
- A simple solution to the hardest logic puzzle ever
- NYT daily SET puzzle
- Sylvan's Box
- Nim
- Parsons, "The eleactic hangover cure"
- Hofstadters's MU-puzzle: the MIU system
- How Aristotle invented the computer
- Impossible objects
- The game of life
- Smullyan on Carson
- Reviews of this blog
- The game of Hex
- Gervais, How to get to heaven
- Monty Python, "Argument clinic"
Further resources:
- Common problems with essays
- Some useful formal concepts [Schwarz]
- Philosophical skills workshops
- Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper
- Philosophy Writing Studio
