metaphysics

This is the website for PHIL 460. Metaphysics (Spring 2026).

Lecture notes for the course, Metaphysics, will be made available online. Further resources include: 

• Loux, M. and Zimmerman, D. (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Metaphysics. Oxford University Press, 2005. (OHM)
• Haslanger, S. and Kurtz, R. (eds.) Persistence: Contemporary Readings. MIT Press, 2006. (PCR)
• Lewis, David. Philosophical Papers I. Oxford University Press, 1983. (PPI)
• Lewis, David. Philosophical Papers II. Oxford University Press, 1986. (PPII)
• Parfit, Derek. Reasons and Persons. Oxford University Press, 1987. (RP)
• Sider, Ted. Four Dimensionalism. Oxford University Press, 2001. (FD)
• Sider, T., Hawthorne, J. and Zimmerman, D. Contemporary Debates in Metaphysics. Blackwell, 2007. (CDM)
  Introduction and Chapter Descriptions.
• Wasserman, R Paradoxes of Time Travel. Oxford University Press, 2020.(PTT)

The schedule below is tentative and subject to change. It includes links to lecture notes, problem sets, and other materials for the course.

tentative schedule

date	topic	activities
	TIME TRAVEL
Mon 1/12	Time Travel and Metaphysics Lewis, D. The Paradoxes of Time Travel. PPII, Ch. 18
	TIME
Wed 1/14	Ontology and Tense J.M.E. McTaggart The Unreality of Time Wasserman, R PTT. Ch. 2:1.
Mon 1/19	University Holiday: Martin Luther King
Wed 1/21	A-Theories D. Zimmerman, The Priviledged Present.
Mon 1/26	B-Theories Sider, T. FD, Ch. 2, 25-52 Wasserman, R PTT. Ch. 2:2.
Wed 1/28	Time Travel Revisited Wasserman, R PTT. Ch. 2:2-4.
Mon 2/2	Problem Session 1	Presentation sign up for a problem
	IDENTITY OVER TIME
Wed 2/4	Persistence Lewis, D. Selection from On the Plurality of Worlds, Haslanger, S. PCR. Ch. 3.
Mon 2/9	Perdurance Sider, T. FD Ch. 3. Wasserman, R PTT. Ch. 6:1-2.	Written Solutions
Wed 2/11	Against Temporal Parts Thomson, J. Parthood and Identity Across Time, PCR, Ch. 7.
Mon 2/16	University Holiday: President’s Day
Wed 2/18	Endurance Fine, K. In Defense of Three-Dimensionalism.
Mon 2/23	The Problem of Change Haslanger, S. Persistence Through Change. OHM 11.
Wed 2/25	The Puzzles of Coincidence Sider, T. FD Ch 5.
Mon 3/2	Material Consitution Thomson, J. (1998) The Statue and the Clay
Wed 3/4	Identity and Time Travel Wasserman, R PTT. Ch. 6: 3-5.
Mon 3/9	Problem Session 2.
Wed 3/11	No Class: Out of Town
	PERSONAL IDENTITY
Mon 3/23	What We Believe Ourselves to Be Parfit, D. RP. Ch. 10	Radiolab: Who Am I? Written Solutions
Wed 3/25	Against the Psychological Criterion Williams, B. The Self and the Future. Thomson, J. People and their Bodies. CDM. Parfit, D. RP. Ch. 11.	Greg Egan. Learning to Be Me
Mon 3/30	Survival and Identity Parfit, D. RP. Ch. 12 Lewis, D. Survival and Identity. PPI.
Wed 4/1	Problem Session 3
	FREE WILL
Mon 4/6	Paradoxes of Freedom Wasserman, R PTT Ch. 3 Lewis, D. The Paradoxes of Time Travel. PP II. Ch. 18	Project Proposal Due
Wed 4/8	Time Travel and Fatalism Carroll, J. W. Context, Conditionals, Fatalism, Time Travel, and Freedom. Time and Indentity. 2010 Bobzien, S. Fate, Action, and Motivation: The Idle Argument. Determinism and Freedom in Stoic Philosophy	Chiang, Ted. What’s Expected of Us. Written Solutions
Mon 4/13	Contextualism and Ability Lewis, D. The Paradoxes of Time Travel. PP II, Ch. 18 Wasserman, R. PTT. Ch 6.
Wed 4/15	Ability and Counterfactuals Vihvelin, K. What Time Travellers Cannot Do.
Mon 4/20	The Consequence Argument van Inwagen, P. The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism.
Wed 4/22	Compatibilism and Incompatibilism. Vihvelin, K. Compatibilism, Incompatibilism and Impossibilism. CDM. Lewis, D. Are We Free to Break the Laws? PPI, Ch. 25.	Draft Due
Mon 4/27	Responsibility and the Ability to Do Otherwise Frankfurt, H. Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility.
Wed 4/29	Problem Session 4	Presentation
Mon 5/11		Final Project Due