Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - PHIL 467W D100

Advanced Seminar (4)

Contemporary Reasonology

Class Number: 6359

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    15 upper division PHIL units or permission from the instructor. Students not in a philosophy major, philosophy honours, or joint major program can take PHIL 467W only with special permission from the instructor.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An advanced, in-depth seminar on a contemporary or historical philosophical topic. Required for all students in a philosophy major, philosophy honours, or joint major program. May be repeated for credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

Selected Topics: Contemporary Reasonology

This seminar offers an advanced examination into the nature and role of normative reasons in contemporary metaethics and epistemology. We start by looking into the structure of normative reasons and proceed by looking at a series of important distinctions that contemporary philosophers draw in the literature: internal vs. external reasons, objective vs. subjective reasons; possessed vs. unpossessed reasons. We then move on to investigate various attempts at analyzing or defining normative reasons. We end the course by looking at how reasons are put to work in contemporary metaethics and epistemology, focusing on the role that reasons play in accounts of moral worth, doxastic justification, pragmatism, and theories of pragmatic encroachment.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course will be applied towards the upper division Writing Requirement for philosophy majors, philosophy honours, and philosophy joint majors. All students declared in one of these programs starting with Fall 2024 have to take an offering of PHIL 467W as a required course. Students declared before Fall 2024 can take any 400 level course to fulfill the requirement. 

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a solid understanding of the fundamentals of reasons
  • Identify and reconstruct philosophical arguments
  • Write advanced-level philosophy papers
  • Conduct independent research
  • Engage with central issues in contemporary metaethics and epistemology

Grading

  • 5 discussion questions 10%
  • Term paper proposal 10%
  • Term paper draft 10%
  • Final term paper 60%
  • In-class participation 10%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Readings will be made freely available in class.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Thinking of a Philosophy Major or Minor? The Concentration in Law and Philosophy? The Certificate in Ethics? The Philosophy and Methodology of Science Certificate?
Contact the PHIL Advisor at philcomm@sfu.ca   More details on our website: SFU Philosophy

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.