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PHIL41330

Academic Year 2024/2025

Philosophy of Time (PHIL41330)

Subject:
Philosophy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Philosophy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Daniel Esmonde Deasy
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course is all about time and change, which I think are two of the most important, fundamental, and mysterious topics in philosophy. It's open to *all* students, including those with no background in philosophy of time, or in the 'analytic' philosophical tradition. (Many of our readings will come from that tradition, but not all; and as you'll see, the questions and methods are really not specific to one way of doing philosophy. Of all topics, time and change are open to many different approaches!)

We will think about questions such as:

Is the distinction between past, present and future moments absolute, or merely relative? What sort of picture of time do we get from contemporary physics, and should we be willing to modify that picture for purely philosophical reasons? What is change? What is it for time to pass? Could there be time without change? Could there be change without time? Do past and future objects and events exist? Is the existence of the future consistent with our being free? Do ordinary persisting things have temporal as well as spatial parts? Is time travel possible? What is the nature of our experience of time?

Exactly which questions we address will be partly determined by the seminar participants, i.e., by you. So if there's some topic you're especially interested in thinking about, please let me know.

We will investigate the above questions by reading and (more importantly) discussing classic and contemporary articles and book chapters in the philosophy of time. The focus of the seminar will be on discussion and the development of our own ideas, rather than on teaching and lecturing. If you take this seminar, you will gain both an insight into some of the main conceptual tools and theories at play in the philosophy of time as it is practiced today, as well as a chance to use those tools and theories to develop your own ideas.

A nice thing to read if you are interested in learning more is: https://iep.utm.edu/time/. If you'd like to see last year's syllabus before making up your mind, just email me at daniel.deasy@ucd.ie.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of studying this course, you will:

1. Gain a good understanding of some of the key questions and theories in contemporary philosophy of time.

2. Gain the confidence to critically engage with classic and contemporary texts in the philosophy of time.

3. Gain a greater familiarity with the methodology, tools and techniques of contemporary metaphysics.

Some key general aims of the course are to:

1. Cultivate rigorous, creative and independent thought about philosophical problems.

2. Develop research skills, especially the ability to produce research-level papers and presentations.

3. Develop the ability to express, discuss, and defend philosophical positions.

Indicative Module Content:

We will think about questions such as:

1. Is the distinction between past, present and future moments absolute or merely relative?

2. What sort of picture of time do we get from contemporary physics, and should we be willing to modify that picture for purely philosophical reasons?

3. What is change?

4. What is it for time to pass?

5. Could there be time without change?

6. Do past and future objects and events exist?

7. If so, are they as 'real' as present objects and events?

8. If not, how do we account for the truth of facts that seem to require their existence, such as the fact that yesterday's earthquake caused today's building collapse Is the existence of the future consistent with our being free?

9. Do ordinary persisting things have temporal as well as spatial parts?

10. Is the future determined by the past, and what consequence does this have for human freedom?

11. Is time travel possible?

12. Do we consciously experience change and persistence, and if so, what does this tell us about the nature of temporal consciousness?

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Autonomous Student Learning

226
Total

250

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module is a seminar, so it will involve pre-reading course material and then discussing it in the seminar. It will also involve some teaching by the convener, but usually this will involve raising questions for discussion by the class. However, if you *don't* like speaking in class, you won't have to: you can just listen as well. But the more conversation the better!

The essays will provide a useful opportunity for feedback and discussion: for each essay, I will provide comments on any drafts I am sent in advance, and will also facilitate peer-to-peer feedback (although please note that that's not mandatory).

There will be in-class presentations by participants that will also provide a useful opportunity to learn and share ideas.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Short Essay (2,000 words). Week 5 Graded No

30

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Longer Essay (3,000-4,000 words). Week 14 Graded No

60

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Class Presentation. Week 10 Graded No

10

 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

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