Fall 1998

Sophomore Tutorial:

PHILOSOPHY OF ACTION

Classroom TBA, Time TBA

Luca Ferrero

ferrero@fas.harvard.edu

Emerson 316

Office Hour: after the tutorial or by appointment

Calendar

--ACTION AND AGENCY—

Week 1 J. L. Austin “A Plea for Excuses”, Philosophical Papers

Week 2 A. Kenny "The Will", The Metaphysics of Mind, Ch. 3

Week 3 D. Davidson, "Agency", Essays on Action and Events, Ch. 3

First paper topic distributed

Week 4 M. Alvarez & J. Hyman, "Agents and their Actions", Philosophy 1998

--INTENTIONAL ACTION--

Week 5 E. Anscombe, Intention, sections 1-2, 4-6, 22-26

First 5-page paper due in class

Week 6 J. Searle, "Intention and Action", Intentionality, Ch. 3

Second paper topic distributed

Week 7 N. Malcolm, Consciousness and Causality, pp. 83-93

R.K. Sheer, “The Causal Theory of Intentions”, Philosophical Investigations 1994

--ACTIVE AND PASSIVE--

Week 8 A. Danto, "What We Can Do" in Care N.S., Readings in the Theory of Action

(suggested A. Danto, "Basic Actions", ibidem, pp. 93-112)

Second 5-page paper due in class

Week 9 Hornsby, "Acting and Trying to Act", Action, Ch. 3

G. Ryle, The Concept of Mind, Ch. 3

Week 10 Thanksgiving – No Meeting

Week 11 J. Raz, "The Active and The Passive", Proc. Aristot. Soc., Supp. Vol. 71

Third paper topic distributed

Week 12 G. Ryle, "Negative Actions", On Thinking, Ch. 7

Dec 17 Last day of classes

Third 5 pages paper due by 5.00 p.m. in my mailbox

Readings are available for xeroxing on the reserve shelf in Robbins Library

Grading and Extension Policy

Each paper counts for 20% of the final grade, participation 40%

A late paper will be marked down 1/3 of a grade for every day it is late.

A 2 days advance notice and a good reason are required for extensions.

No extension can be granted on the final paper.