PHIL 58P.01 (Metaphysics)
Spring 2009
Prof. Pınar Canevi

(Wednesday 6 7 8)
 

This course is intended to disclose and discuss the philosophical concepts underlying our conception of Nature. We will start with an analysis of the origin of these concepts in philosophical thinking and move on to trace the changes which has occurred in these concepts finally resulting in the Modern conception of Nature. From there we will proceed to treat of the problems involved in this conception and possible ways of overcoming these problems. The aim of the course will be both to bring to our attention our presuppositions in the way in which we view Nature and the need to re-think the concepts in terms of which we conceive of it.

Some of the concepts under discussion will be the physical and the mathematical, the finite and the infinite, matter, motion, place, body and extension.

The book to be used in this course is The Nature of Physical Existence by Ivor Leclerc xerox copies of which are available at Hisar Fotokopi. The students taking the course will be expected to attend all  classes, keep up with the reading assignments, take part in class discussions, take a mid term exam and present a term paper of  about twenty pages long at the end of the semester.

Those students who are registered for the course are expected to come to the first class period on February 18 having read Chapters 1 and 2.