Questions on History of Philosophy
Code
722031059
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
10
Teacher in charge
Marta Mendonça
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) Detailed understanding of the importance of the history of Philosophy as an integral part of philosophical questions and as a source of problems and non one-sidedness in philosophical contemplation.
b) Detailed knowledge of fundamental questions in the history of Philosophy, so as to combine an understanding of the questions involved, their systematic significance (and their importance for contemporary debate) with a wide mastery of any important historical links.
c) Detailed knowledge of fundamental texts from the history of Philosophy, with a mastery of the interpretative tradition, the current state of research and all the relevant bibliography.
d) Carrying out of research work, under supervision, on the history of Philosophy, demonstrating original explanations and complying with scientific quality standards.
e) Acquisition of skills for carrying out independent research into the history of Philosophy.
Prerequisites
None
Subject matter
From idea to reality an analysis of the ontological argument
The course will focus on the ontological argument, its different versions and its criticism. Starting from the Anselmian formulation, we will analyse the main early Modern reformulations Descartes, Spinozas, Leibnizs, etc. as well as some contemporary ones Malcolms, Hartshornes and Gödels and the objections against them. The analysis of the ontological argument, and of its presuppositions in each case, will allow the exploration of central problems of philosophy, namely early Modern and Contemporary philosophy: existence as a predicate, different ways of conceiving modal concepts and the relations between them, the relationship between logic and ontology, etc.
Bibliography
HARTSHORNE, Ch., The logic of perfection. La Salle, Illinois, Open Court Publishing Co., 1962.
HICK, J. McGILL, A. (Eds.), The Many-Faced Argument: Recent Studies on the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God. London, MacMillan, 1967.
PLANTINGA, A. (Ed.), The Ontological Argument: from St. Anselm to Contemporary Philosophers. London, Macmillan, 1968.
SCRIBANO, E. L´esistenza di Dio. Storia della prova ontologica da Descartes a Kant. Bari, Laterza & Co., 1994.
SOBEL, J. Logic and Theism. Arguments for and against Beliefs in God. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Teaching method
The course has a mixed approach, theoretical and practical, combining a theoretical examination of the topics of the program with the analysis of texts of the philosophers there studied.
Evaluation method
Participation in the seminar sessions; presentation of a written work; oral discussion of the work.