PY5219 The Philosophy of David Lewis

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

20

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 11

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

To be confirmed.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr J Z D'Ambrosio

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Justin D'Ambrosio

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This course provides a systematic introduction to the philosophy of David Lewis, one of the most important analytic philosophers of the second half of the twentieth century. Lewis is distinctive among analytic philosophers for having contributed to so many different areas of analytic philosophy, and for having done so systematically. This course begins by addressing the foundational elements of Lewis's metaphysics—his doctrine of "Humean Supervenience" and his metaphysics of modality—along with the method of definition, Ramsification, that Lewis repeatedly deploys in his theorising. With this foundation, it then aims to provide an overview of the central topics that Lewis addresses within metaphysics, the philosophy of language, and the philosophy of mind. Topics may include content, the attitudes, counterfactuals, causation, truth, convention, the conversational scoreboard, knowledge, and objective chance.

Assessment pattern

100% Coursework

Re-assessment

100% Coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 seminar (X11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

275

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • By the end of the module, students will be able to outline David Lewis's basic philosophical commitments and understand the methodology he employs to arrive at them.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to grasp the significance of the doctrine of Humean supervenience, a view about the fundamental nature of reality, and how everyday objects relate to it.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to intelligently discuss Lewis's views on the metaphysics of modality, especially his controversial doctrine of modal realism.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to consider, in an informed way, the various alternative views to Lewis's own on several crucial topics in metaphysics, including laws of nature, causation, and fundamentality, among others.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to write competently and meaningfully concerning topics such as the semantics of counterfactuals, the nature of truth, the method of Ramsification, the nature of knowledge, convention, and the conversational scoreboard.