513 - Mathematical Logic
MWF 12:20
Klement
Elementary meta-mathematics and logical meta-theory. Topics include completness and consistency proofs for first-order logic, model theory, elementary number theory (especially Peano arithmetic), and Gödel's incompleteness theorems and related results. Text: Mendelson, Introduction to Mathematical Logic, 4th ed. Requirements: problem sets and exams. Prerequisite: Philosophy 310, or consent of instructor.

594K - Knowledge of Self and Other Minds
M 3:35-6:00
Kornblith
We seem to have a great deal of knowledge about our own mental states and about the mental states of other people.  From a Cartesian perspective, knowledge of our current mental states is entirely unproblematic, while knowledge of the mental states of others (and, of course, knowledge of the external world) cry out for explanation.  But how is self-knowledge possible, and how, if at all, does it differ from knowledge of the mental states of others and of the physical world?  We will examine a variety of views on these matters in both the philosophical and the psychological literature.  We will read Shaun Nichols and Stephen Stich's book Mindreading, as well as a selection of material by a variety of other authors.

594M - Seminar - Mind and Meaning
Tu 7:30-10:00
Jay Garfield
This seminar will be an exploration of the philosophy of Wilfrid Sellars. We will focus on his epistemology and philosophy of mind.  After considering Sellars' approach to the Kantian problematic and the context this sets for his own work, we will turn to his account of meaning.  The center of the course will be a close reading of Sellars' influential essay "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind."  Following this we will read some his later essays on the philosophy of mind, meaning and epistemology.  We will consider the many dimensions of Sellars' influence on 20th and 21st Century philosophy of mind, epistemology and philosophy of language. Syllabus.

594S - Formal Semantics
time and place by arrangement
Gary Hardegree
We usually understand novel sentences – e.g., this one – with little or no hesitation. How do we accomplish this? According to the received opinion, our linguistic knowledge divides into two modules – roughly, words and rules – which in turn correspond respectively to Lexical Grammar and Compositional Grammar. The present course concerns Compositional Semantics – the study of how the meanings of compound expressions are derived from the meanings of their parts. We pursue this enterprise within the framework of Categorial Grammar – more specifically, within the framework of Type-Logical Grammar. Topics will include: set theory, type theory, lambda-calculus, categorial syntax and semantics, type-logical syntax and semantics. Prerequisite: graduate status, or consent of the instructor. Requirements: homework assignments.
Web Site: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~gmhwww/595/index.htm

703 - Problems in History of Philosophy
W 3:35-6:00
Sleigh
This seminar will focus on the accounts of free choice offered by St. Thomas Aquinas, Francisco Suarez, and Leibniz. St. Thomas Aquinas's account of free choice set the agenda for subsequent discussions, which agenda persisted at least through the seventeenth century. Francisco Suarez, responding to problems in St. Thomas's account formulated by Luis de Molina, crafted a sophisticated libertarian alternative. Leibniz, in typical fashion, set out to formulate an account solving all the problems left unresolved by his predecessors. In the course of examining Leibniz's account of free choice, we will also examine his theories of modality and truth.

760 - Ethics
M 7:00-9:30
Feldman
A familiar objection to utilitarianism and other normative theories is that they are “impractical”, or that they fail to be “action-guiding”. In one form, the objection is based on the claim that ordinary people lack the information that would be required in order to make use of the theory to determine what they morally ought to do. Many philosophers have taken the objection seriously and have offered answers to the question about we should do when we don’t know what the true moral theory requires of us. Some samples: “Do what will maximize expected utility” (J. J. C. Smart); “Abide by conventional morality” (G. E. Moore); “Make use of intuitive level thinking” (R. M. Hare); “Let your conscience be your guide” (J. Cricket); “Do what Jesus would do”. The most interesting of these answers will be the topic of this seminar. Readings by Kant, Mill, Sidgwick, Moore, Hare, Smart, and many others. For more information about prerequisites, course requirements, likely readings, etc., send an email to Fred.

792D - Aristotle's Metaphysics
Tu 4:00-6:30
Perin
Description forthcoming.

794R - Perception and Reason
Th 4:00-6:30
Schaffer
We will explore various theories of perception, and various approaches to the regress of reasons. The idea is to discuss whether some theories of perception might help provide replies to the regress of reasons, and/or replies to the skeptic. Prerequisite: graduate students only.