Current Course
Phil 4733: Philosophy of Biology
Autumn 2009
In this course, we will investigate some of the main philosophical problems that arise in contemporary biology, with an emphasis on evolutionary theory. We will focus our investigations on four areas: contemporary interpretations of evolutionary theory, the workings of natural selection, the role of genes in evolution, and applications of evolutionary theory to human life.
Upcoming Courses
Phil 4990: History of Analytic Philosophy
Spring 2010
The twentieth century was an exciting time for philosophy. Developments in physics, logic and mathematics, as well as radical political changes throughout Europe, paved the way for a new approach to philosophy. The movement began in Central Europe, but it quickly spread to England and then the United States. Much of contemporary philosophy has roots in the philosophical developments of this time period—especially current philosophy of language, philosophy of science, metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. In this course, we will investigate those philosophical developments and their historical context. In the process, we will grapple with many of the central problems in these areas of philosophical investigation.
Phil 1313: Logic and Critical Thinking
Spring 2010
Thinking is something that comes naturally to human beings, but thinking well requires hard work. In this course, we will focus on developing and discovering tools to help you think critically about information that you encounter and arguments that you formulate and respond to. These tools fall into three categories: informal logic, formal logic and inductive reasoning. We will investigate each of these topics in turn.
Resources for Students
Appointments: Office, 255 Murry Hall
During spring semester, 2010, I'm available to meet 2 to 3 on Tuesdays, 11 to 12 on Thursdays, and other times by appointment.
OSU Syllabus Attachment
Essential information for students about OSU policies, deadlines, expectations of students, and resources for help.
Guide to Writing Philosophy Papers
Tricks for starting a paper; outline of a standard approach to writing philosophy papers; common challenges to watch out for.
Past Courses
Phil 1313: Logic and Critical Thinking
Autumn 2008 -- Spring 2010
Thinking is something that comes naturally to human beings, but thinking well requires hard work. In this course, we will focus on developing and discovering tools to help you think critically about information that you encounter and arguments that you formulate and that you respond to. These tools fall into three categories: informal logic, formal logic and inductive reasoning. We will investigate each in turn.
Phil 4983: Metaphysics and Epistemology
Spring 2009
The areas of investigation called metaphysics and epistemology can be boiled down to two questions that are easy to formulate but very difficult to answer: What is there? And, how do you know? In this course we will investigate various topics in metaphysics and epistemology, including: How can things and people remain the same when they change over time? What does it mean to say that something is possible (but not actual)? What is it for something to cause something else to happen? Can we ever know anything for sure? What counts as knowledge? What does it take for a belief to be justified?
Phil 4713: Philosophy of Science
Autumn 2008
In this course, we will investigate what counts as science; how science works; and what science aims to accomplish. After a brief historical introduction to science and philosophy of science, we will focus on five main questions. These regard theory confirmation and theory change; the nature of scientific explanations; the relationships between science and society; the role of philosophy of science; and the aim of science.
Phil 50: Introduction to Logic
Spring 2008, Stanford University
First-order logic is a method of formalizing arguments—that is, of precisely formulating claims and the rules that govern which inferences can be made on the basis of these claims. This course covers the basics of first-order logic; how to convert natural language arguments into first-order logic; and how to assess the validity of arguments in first-order logic.
Phil 195a: The Unity of Science
Spring 2008, Stanford University
The debate over the unity of science regards the nature of the relationship(s) that obtain among the various fields of science. Possibilities include eliminative reduction, translation, logical inference, explanation, and others. In the mid-twentieth century, unity became synonymous with reduction to microphysics. As a result, subsequent proponents of the disunity of science focused on countering the thesis of reductionism. The nature of the unity (or disunity) of science is thought to have implications for many other philosophical inquiries, including questions of scientific methodology, explanation, the demarcation between science and non-science, and issues in philosophy of mind. In this course we will investigate how to characterize the relationship(s), if any, that connect the fields of science to one another. In the process, we will chart a course through the recent history of the debate over the unity of science. The course will be divided into three parts: first, the relationship between the unity of science and reductionism; second, the versions of disunity of science advocated by members of the Stanford School; and third, accounts of the unity of science that are non-reductive in nature.
Phil 239: Teaching Methods
Autumn 2007, Stanford University
This course is a resource for graduate students serving as teaching assistants in the Philosophy Department. The goals are to prepare first-time TAs for their upcoming classes, to help students familiar with teaching further develop their pedagogical skills, and to familiarize students with the role that teaching plays when they are on the job market. The course is discussion-based.