16026x

WiSe 20/21: Online: Paradoxes

Richard Woodward

Information for students

This course will be taught completely online. The seminar will be structured into two phases. In the first phase, we will examine a range of paradoxes drawn from various areas of philosophy, including metaphysics (such as a paradoxes of time travel and material constitution), the philosophy of language (such as the liar paradox and the paradoxes of material implication), and epistemology (such as the lottery paradox and the paradoxes of induction). During this phase, the sessions will take the form of interactive lectures where students will be assigned small tasks (reading short texts, answering brief questions, watching and reflecting on films) to prepare them for the sessions. In the second phase, the class will be split into smaller groups (hopefully 4-5 students), each of which will be assigned a paradox drawn from aesthetics (such as the paradoxes of horror and tragedy). During this phase, the sessions will take the form of group meetings, and each group will prepare a presentation on their assigned topic. close

Comments

Roughly speaking, a paradox is a set of jointly inconsistent claims, each of which seems extremely plausible -- and the philosophical challenge is to identify how we can avoid the inconsistency (or explain how we can live with it). Paradoxes have played an important role in philosophical history, forcing us to question some of our most cherished beliefs. This course focuses on a range of paradoxes with a view to introducing students to central topics in a number of areas in both practical and theoretical philosophy. Questions that might be encountered include: Can two things be in the same place at the same time? Does one hair make the difference between someone who is tall and someone who is not? Could you travel back to before you were born and kill your own grandparents? is it rational to fear the zombies in Resident Evil, even though we know it's just a game? Why do we hope that Juliet and Romeo make it, even though we know it's a tragedy? close