Philosophy 125

Metaphysics is the study of the constitution of reality – of what there is and how things are – in the most general sense. This course will be a survey of contemporary metaphysics, covering realism & anti-realism, universals & particulars, propositions & facts, necessity & possibility, and time & causation. In exploring these and related issues, we will read the work of many contemporary philosophers, including Quine, Armstrong, Lewis, Loux, Kripke, Taylor, Smart, Prior, Mellor, Putnam, Dummett, van Inwagen, and others. Prerequisite: previous coursework in philosophy or permission of instructor.