Composite Material Beings

8 Fevereiro 2024, 14:00 • Ricardo Santos

Material beings and their parts: problems of composition and material constitution. Van Inwagen’s special composition question (SCQ) and the two extreme answers — universalism and nihilism. Inwagen’s view that living beings are the only composite objects. Puzzles of material constitution: the ship of Theseus and the statue and the clay.

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Truth (2)

1 Fevereiro 2024, 14:00 • Ricardo Santos

Truth and truthmakers. Jago’s indirect argument in favor of the truthmaker principle. Analysis of the truthmaking relation. Varieties of truthmakers. Discussion of truthmaker maximalism.

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Introduction. Truth (1)

25 Janeiro 2024, 14:00 • Ricardo Santos

Personal introductions. Aims and contents of the course. Reading list. Methodology. Assessment of the students will be based on: one oral presentation in class (40%) and one written essay (up to 5,000 words) (60%) on topics previously agreed. There will be an oral discussion of the essay.

Theories of truth in contemporary analytic metaphysics. Wright’s analysis of the traditional debate between the correspondence theory, the coherence theory and the pragmatic theory of truth. Arguments against deflationism, against ‘intrinsicism’ and against coherentism. A defense of pluralism about truth.

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