Event Timeslots (1)
Thursday
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This course has two goals. The first is to provide students with a gentle introduction to formal tools that have proven useful in philosophy, including probability theory, decision theory, and nonclassical logic. The second goal is to demonstrate how these formal tools can be applied to philosophical inquiry. We will begin with the basics of probability and utility. No advanced mathematics will be required; rather, the emphasis will be on understanding the fundamental concepts and the philosophical issues surrounding their interpretation. We will then explore how these tools can be used to address questions about rationality. For example, we will consider questions such as: How should we rationally update our beliefs? How should we rationally evaluate and choose plans for action? The final third of the course will focus on applications of formal tools to debates in ethics and metaethics, while also introducing methods from nonclassical logic. We will consider questions such as: What makes one social outcome ethically better than another when different outcomes benefit different people to different degrees? How do normative reasons interact systematically to determine the normative status of the actions available to an agent? By the end of the course, students will have a foundational grasp of the formal machinery of probability and decision theory, as well as the ability to work with basic set-theoretic and logical concepts.Students will also have developed skills in applying these formal tools to philosophical inquiry and become familiar with some of the central problems in formal epistemology and formal ethics.