Instructor:

Richard Lee (Office hours)

Course number:

PHIL 5983 (SAFARI number: 06206)

Time:

Th 3:30 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.

Room:

MAIN 327

Pre-requisites:

Graduate standing or permission of the instructor

Brief Description:

What constitutes a good reason for doing something? Under what circumstances is an action irrational or rational. This seminar will explore answers to these and related questions. We'll start with readings from Aristotle and Hume, but quickly move to readings by contemporary philosphers. We'll focus on writings by Searle, Dancy, and Bratman.

Texts:

• John Searle, Rationality in Action (MIT, 2003) ISBN: 0262692821
• Michael Bratman, Intention, Plans, and Practical Reason (Cambridge, 1999) ISBN: 1575861925
• Jonathan Dancy, Practical Reality (Oxford, 2003) ISBN: 0199253056
• plus material on web and material on reserve

Other information:

• Course Requirements
• Important Dates
• Reading Schedule (under construction)
• Policies
• Term Paper and Presentations
• Short Paper Assignments
• Anonymous comments / Questions to Teacher