Event Timeslots (1)
Thursday
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In this introductory seminar, we will discuss both general questions about methods, such as “What are methods in the first place?” or “How should methods be evaluated?”, and specific questions about philosophical methods, like “Are there any philosophical methods at all?”, “Are there uniquely or distinctively philosophical methods?”, or “What are the main philosophical methods?”. In light of this general background, we will also consider some philosophical methods in more detail, such as argumentation, conceptual analysis, experimental philosophy, formal methods, or thought experiments. The course will be based on a manuscript version of the introductory volume Methods in Analytic Philosophy: A Primer and Guide (edited by Joachim Horvath, Steffen Koch, and Michael G. Titelbaum), which is forthcoming as an open access book with the PhilPapers Foundation. There will be a lot of flexibility for the participants of the seminar to decide which philosophical methods they want to focus on, including decisions about selected further readings on these methods. Apart from the ability to read philosophical texts in English, some prior experience with doing philosophy would be helpful for a seminar that has the aim of reflecting on methods as a key aspect of philosophical practice.