Universität Wien
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180116 SE Belief, Rationality, and the Will (2012S)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 45 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 05.03. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 19.03. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 26.03. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 16.04. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 23.04. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 30.04. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 07.05. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 14.05. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 21.05. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 04.06. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 11.06. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 18.06. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 25.06. 09:00 - 11:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

We all have the following three inconsistent intuitions:
(1) You are responsible for your beliefs. (If you believe in witches, your belief is irresponsibly formed.)
(2) Responsibility presupposes control. (You are responsible for slapping me only if you can control your arm.)
(3) But you can’t control your beliefs. (Try to believe right now that you aren’t looking at a computer screen.)
One of these intuitions must go. But which? If we give up (1), we give up rationality; if we give up (2) we give up morality; if we give up (3), we give up belief.

Assessment and permitted materials

Continuous assessment:
1. Regular attendance
2. Participation in discussions
3. Three mini-essays (6-7 pages each), on three of the chapters we are reading.
To be handed in BEFORE the session in which we discuss the relevant paper. Failure to produce all essays results in failing the course.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Examination topics

Reading list

Owens, David (2000) Reason without Freedom: The problem of Epistemic Normativity (London: Routledge).

Reading for first session: 'Introduction: Rationality, Responsibility, and Control' (pp. 1-6) to be found in my Handapparat as well as on Moodle.

Association in the course directory

MA M 1

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36