PERSONAL IDENTITY

Philosophy 736-532-001

University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee Spring 2008

THIS IS A TENTATIVE SYLLABUS -- the FINAL VERSION will be made available on the first day of classes

REQUIRED TEXTS

There is no book or reader to buy for this course. Most readings are available in electronic form the course website on d2l.uwm.edu  -- some readings are available by clicking on the links in this syllabus

Some Background Readings

Readings marked with R are on Paper Reserve at the Golda Meir Library

N.B. You are required to read the assigned texts before attending the lecture

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SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS

 

Date	Lecture	Topic	READINGS Required readings are in boldface Suggested background or extra readings are in italics	Assignments
01/22	I	Introduction	background readings from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy    identity      identity over time        personal identity Required Readings - E.J.Lowe  Selections from Metaphysics: a Survey - W.Quine "Identity" - R.Chisolm "Identity Through Time"
01/29	II	Memory and the Psychological Criterion	- J.Locke An Essay Concerning Human Understanding: Book 2: Chapter 27 - M.Atherton "Locke's Theory of Personal Identity", Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Vol. VIII, 1983 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy    memory               epistemology of memory - S.Shoemaker "Persons and Their Pasts" - D.Parfit selections (tba) from Reasons and Persons * - T.Burge "Memory and Persons"
2/5	III		- S.Shoemaker "Personal Identity: a Materialist's account" (selections)
2/12	IV		- J.D.Velleman "Self to Self" - J.Campbell "Time and Memory"
2/19	V	Does Identity Matter?	- D.Parfit Reasons and Persons Ch. 12-13 - M.Johnston "Reasons and Reductionism" - J.D.Velleman "So it Goes" - J.McDowell ‘Reductionism and the First Person’
2/26	VI		- J.Perry "The Importance of Being Identical" - J.Whiting "Future Selves" - J.Whiting "Personal Identity" - D.Wiggins "The Concern to Survive" in Needs, Values, Truth, Ch. IX [*]
3/4	VII		- M.Schechtman "Experience, Agency, Personal Identity" - Stanford Encyclopedia identity and ethics - C.Korsgaard "Personal Identity and the Unity of Agency" - D.W.Shoemaker "Personal Identity and Practical Concerns"
3/11	VIII	Narrative Identity	- D.Velleman "Narrative Explanation" - N.Carroll "Narrative Closure" - D.Dennett "The Self as a Center of Narrative Gravity" - J.D.Velleman "The Self as Narrator" - D.Dennett "The Self as an Artifact"
3/18	Spring Break
3/25	IX	Narrative Identity (continued)	- M.Schechtman, The constitution of selves, Ch. 5 - B.Williams "Life as Narrative" - E.Milgram "Serial Hyperspecializers" - G.Strawson "Against Narrativity" - L.Ferrero "What Good is a Diachronic Will?" Phil Studies (forthcoming)
4/1	X
4/8	XI	Unity, Integrity, and Identity	THIS IS EVEN MORE DRAFTY  THAN THE SECTIONS ABOVE - P.Simons "Integral Wholes", Parts: A Study in Ontology Ch. 9 - D.Dennett "Conditions of Personhood" - C.Rovane The Bounds of Agency Ch. 3 - T.Hills "Pains and Projects" Ch. 12 of Autonomy and Self-Respect - C.Korsgaard Locke Lectures (extracts TBA) - C.Rovane "Rationality and Persons"
4/15	XII
4/22	XIII
4/29	XIV	Writing Workshop	See instructions on my homepage
5/6	XV	Writing Workshop	See instructions on my homepage	DRAFT OF PAPER DUE IN CLASS
5/13		FINAL PAPER DUE     by 4:00 p.m.		FINAL PAPER DUE

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ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING POLICY

FOR UNDERGRADUATES

Research Paper (3000-3600 words)	75%
Class Participation (including class presentation)	25%
Short Outlines and Response Paper required during the semester (details to be announced in class)	Pass / Fail
Writing Workshop - attendance required to pass the class	Pass / Fail

FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

Final Research Paper (3600-4500 words)	75%
Class participation (including class presentation)	25%
Short assignments during the semester (details to be announced in class)	Pass / Fail
Writing Workshop - attendance required in order to pass the class	Pass / Fail

 

• Attendance to lectures and writing workshops is mandatory
  
• PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS BY THE DEADLINES indicated above. All late papers will be marked 1 grade down for each day or portion thereof that they are late, including weekends and holidays (for instance, if a paper is due on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and it is turned in on Wed at 5.00 p.m., it will be penalized two full grades). The penalty applies BOTH to the first and the final draft of each paper (e.g., if you turn both the first and the final draft one day late, your will be penalized 2 full grades).
  
• In order to pass this course you MUST COMPLETE ALL assignments. You must take the in-class tests, participate in the writing workshops, turn in both papers and take the final exam  

click here to see the GRADING GUIDELINES

Please note that PLAGIARISM is a serious instance of Academic Misconduct

Plagiarism includes:

1. Directly quoting the words of others without using quotation marks or indented format to identify them; or,
2. Using sources of information (published or unpublished) without identifying them; or,
3. Paraphrasing materials or ideas of others without identifying the sources.

UWM Policy concerning Plagiarism is available at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/OSL/DOS/conduct.html 

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WRITING WORKSHOP

In this class, you are given the opportunity to benefit from the comments of your peers on the first draft of your papers. You must submit the first draft of the paper (at least 900 words) together with a detailed outline on the first day of the writing workshop. Two or three other students will be assigned to you as commentators. You will meet with them at the writing workshop and discuss with them how to improve your draft. You then have some more days to revise your draft before submitting the final version for grading (for the exact deadlines, see the schedule above). You will also be commenting on the work of two or three other students. You will receive their drafts on the day when your draft is due. You will turn in your written comments at the writing workshop.

Please note that the active participation in the writing workshop is REQUIRED in order to pass the class. Detailed instructions about the writing workshop will be distributed during the term and made available on my homepage at http://www.uwm.edu/~ferrero/writing-workshop.htm

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Academic Misconduct Policy: see http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/OSL/DOS/conduct.html

Drop/Audit Policy: Students will be allowed to drop the course up through the last day permitted by the Registrar. Likewise, students may elect to audit the course up through the last day permitted by the Registrar

Grievance and Appeals Policy: The Department of Philosophy has procedures for handling student grievance and grade-appeals. Information is available in the Department office, 612 Curtin Hall

Special Assistance: If you need special assistance, please contact me the first day of class

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