Curriculum Vitae John R. Perry Email: [email protected] Born: 16 January 1943 in Lincoln, Nebraska Address: 545 Hilbar Lane
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In the “The Problem of the Essential Indexical” John Perry Presents The
1 Faith and Philosophy, April (2006), 191-200. Penultimate Draft DE SE KNOWLEDGE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AN OMNISCIENT BEING Stephan Torre In this paper I examine an argument that has been made by Patrick Grim for the claim that de se knowledge is incompatible with the existence of an omniscient being. I claim that the success of the argument depends upon whether it is possible for someone else to know what I know in knowing (F), where (F) is a claim involving de se knowledge. I discuss one reply to this argument, proposed by Edward Wierenga, that appeals to first-person propositions and argue that this response is unsuccessful. I then consider David Lewis‟s theory of de se attitudes involving the self-ascription of properties. I claim that, according to this theory, there are two senses in which someone else can know what I know in knowing (F). I then argue that the second sense allows for the compatibility of de se knowledge with the existence of an omniscient being. Consider the following case:1 I am at a pool party and around the pool are several burning torches. At some point, I smell the distinct smell of burning hair and I come to know that someone‟s hair is on fire. I then see a reflection in the water of an individual whose hair is on fire and I come to know of this individual that his hair is on fire. Next I realize that everyone is pointing and shouting at me. I suddenly realize: (F) My hair is on fire! 1 2 When I come to realize (F), my behavior changes drastically; I jump into the pool in order to extinguish the flames. -
Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy 1000, Spring 2017
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY PHILOSOPHY 1000, SPRING 2017 SECTION 001 MWF, 10:00, VAC 1B90 INSTRUCTOR Jonathan Spelman [email protected] https://www.chalkup.co/course/585dcc64281f930800a658cb/trending COURSE DESCRIPTION This course introduces students to some of the central questions in philosophy and identifies some potential answers to them. For example, we consider epistemological questions such as whether we can trust our senses and, more generally, whether we can know anything. We consider metaphysical questions such as whether God exists and whether we could survive the death of our bodies. Finally, we consider normative questions such as whether we have a moral obligation to donate money to famine relief and whether it is morally wrong to buy and eat factory-farmed meat, pollute the environment, and/or play violent video games. Along the way, this course helps students develop the philosophical skills they need to answer these questions. In particular, it helps students to construct and evaluate arguments, devise thought experiments and counterexamples, and develop intellectual courage, empathy, and humility. OFFICE HOURS I will hold office hours on Mondays from 11:00a-12:45p and Wednesdays from 2:00p-3:45p in Hellems 15. I am also available by appointment. REQUIRED TEXTS • Course Pack • John Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality. Hackett, 1978. • René Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditation on First Philosophy, translated by Donald A. Cress, 4th ed., Hackett, 1999. TECHNOLOGY POLICY Studies show that students who write their notes retain more information than those who type their notes (see, for example, http://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put- your-laptops-away). -
Robert Brandom Interview in January 1999 Robert Brandom Has Been Invited to Give a Paper and a Seminar at the University Of
Robert Brandom Interview In January 1999 Robert Brandom has been invited to give a paper and a seminar at the University of Genoa. In that occasion we decided to have a short interview on general problems about his philosophy. The interview was initially supposed to be for general public; however, given the relevance of the topics discussed for epistemology, we decided eventually to publish it on Epistemologia. <http://www.dif.unige.it/epi/review.htm> Here you may find the original text of the interview. Carlo Penco ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Many people wonder how much you have taken from your former teacher, Richard Rorty, and how much you have gone in a different direction. Which are the main difference from your philosophy and his? A: I have taken from Rorty the normative pragmatist insight that all matters of authority and responsibility are ultimately matters of social practice, and never matters of ontology (that is, never just a matter of how things in fact are in the nonhuman world). Rorty draws from this sort of pragmatism some very radical conclusions: just as we should not look to ground our moral judgments in the nonhuman authority of a god, so we should not look to ground our empirical judgments in the nonhuman authority of an external world. For him, all there is to bind us is whatever is required for us stably to agree with one another and cooperate. In my book Making It Explicit, I am concerned (among other things) to describe the special structure of social practices that consist in our granting a kind of authority over the correctness of our thinking to the things we are (thereby) thinking about. -
The Self Between Vehicle-Externalism and the Myth Of
teorema Vol. XXXII/1, 2013, pp. 141-155 ISSN: 0210-1602 [BIBLID 0210-1602 (2013) 32:1; pp. 141-155 Dummett and the Game of Tarot1 Carlo Penco RESUMEN En este artículo hago una reconstrucción de los argumentos más importantes de Dummett acerca de la teoría del origen oculto del Tarot y discuto las razones del éxito de la baraja del Tarot –en particular los Major Arcana– en la historia de los juegos de cartas. Doy también algunas indicaciones sobre los vínculos entre el interés de Dummett por la historia de los juegos de cartas y algunos aspectos de su transfondo filosófico. Dado que no soy un experto en juegos de cartas, este artículo es sobre todo un recono- cimiento personal a una parte de la obra de Dummett a la que los filósofos han presta- do generalmente poca atención. PALABRAS CLAVE: Dummett, Tarot, principio del contexto, singnificado como uso. ABSTRACT In this paper I give a reconstruction of Dummett’s main arguments concerning the theory of the occult origin of the Tarot, and discuss the reasons behind the success of the Tarot pack – in particular the Major Arcana – in the history of card games. I also provide some indication of the links between Dummett’s interest in the history of card games and aspects of his philosophical background. As I am not an expert on card games, this paper is mainly a personal tribute to a side of Dummett’s work to which philosophers have in general paid little attention. KEYWORDS: Dummett, Tarot, Context Principle, Meaning As Use. I. -
Robert Boyce Brandom Addresses
Brandom Curriculum Vitae Robert Boyce Brandom Addresses Office Home Philosophy Department 1118 King Ave. 1001 Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh, PA 15206-1437 University of Pittsburgh U.S.A Pittsburgh, PA 15260 U.S.A. ORCID 0000-0001-5478-8567 Telephone Email Office: 412-624-5776 [email protected] Fax: 412-624-5377 Home: 412-661-6190 Web http://www.pitt.edu/~rbrandom Academic Positions Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh (2007-present) Fellow, Center for the Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh (1977–present) Spinoza Chair, University of Amsterdam (2021) Cardinal Mercier Chair, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (2020) Leibniz Professor, Universität Leipzig (2008) Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford (2006) Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences Stanford University (2002-2003) Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh (1998-2006) Professor, Philosophy Department, University of Pittsburgh (1991–1998) Associate Professor, Philosophy Department, University of Pittsburgh (1981–1990) Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department, University of Pittsburgh (1976–1981) 1 Brandom Honors and Awards Fellow, British Academy (elected 2018) Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (elected 2000) Anneliese Maier Forschungspreis, Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (€ 250,000) (2014) Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities Award, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ($1,500,000) (2004) Jean-Pierre Barricelli Book Prize, (for A Spirit of Trust), best book on Romanticism International Conference on Romanticism (2019) Education Ph.D. Philosophy: 1977, Princeton University Thesis: Practice and Object Directors: Richard Rorty and David K. Lewis Porter Ogden Jacobus Fellow, Princeton, 1975–76 Whiting Fellow, 1974–76 B.A. 1972, Yale University Summa cum laude Honors with Exceptional Distinction, Philosophy Phi Beta Kappa, 1971 Languages English: Native Speaker German: Reading French: Reading Python Erdős Number: 5 2 Brandom Publications Books: 1. -
Identity and Self-Knowledge
Philos Theor Pract Biol (2017) 9:5 special issue Identity and Self-Knowledge John Perry∗ Self, person, and identity are among the concepts most central to the way humans think about themselves and others. It is often natural in biology to use such concepts; it seems sensible to say, for example, that the job of the immune system is to attack the non-self, but sometimes it attacks the self. But does it make sense to borrow these concepts? Don’t they only pertain to persons, beings with sophisticated minds, and perhaps even souls? I argue that if we focus on the every-day concepts of self and identity, and set aside loftier concepts found in religion, philosophy, and psychology that are applicable, at most, to humans, we can see that self and identity can be sensibly applied widely in biology. Keywords self • self-knowledge • identity • person • personal identity • unity-relation • process philosophy Part of a special issue, Ontologies of Living Beings, guest-edited by A. M. Ferner and Thomas Pradeu Editorial introduction: John Perry works primarily in logic, metaphysics and the philos- ophy of mind—and this essay is a contribution to a sub-field in the latter: self-knowledge. How do we have, and how do we understand, knowledge of ourselves and of our own men- tal states? While initially this might seem quite far removed from the focus of this special issue, there are two important reasons for including his piece here. Firstly, the essay sets out and examines different uses of the term ‘self ’ and ‘identity’ (alongside the related notion of ‘genidentity’). -
1 a REFUTATION of QUALIA-PHYSICALISM Michael
1 To appear in M. O’Rourke and C. Washington (eds.), Situating Semantics: Essays on the Philosophy of John Perry (MIT Press) A REFUTATION OF QUALIA-PHYSICALISM Michael McKinsey Wayne State University Recent defenders of reductive physicalism such as Brian Loar (1990, 1997) and John Perry (2001) have adopted an intriguing new strategy:i (1) accept as so much common sense (nearly) everything that property-dualists want to say about sensory qualia, including the central claims that sensory qualia determine ‘what it’s like’ to have a given sense experience, and that persons are directly aware of these qualia in the having of such experiences; (2) contend that while these common sense facts about qualia may show that our ways of thinking and speaking about qualia are conceptually different from our ways of thinking and speaking about physical properties of the brain, these facts do not show that sensory qualia themselves (as opposed to our ways of thinking and speaking about them) are distinct from physical properties of the brain; (3) use this contention to turn aside the few existing arguments against reductive physicalism by such property dualists as Kripke (1972), Nagel (1974), Jackson (1982), and Chalmers (1996); and finally (4) insist that sensory qualia are in fact just identical with physical properties of the brain, so that consequently, the facts about the sensory qualities of conscious experience are nothing over and above physical facts about the brain. I will call the view that incorporates this strategy ‘qualia-physicalism’, or ‘Q-physicalism’ for short. In this paper I will argue that Q-physicalism is false. -
Third Pisa Colloquium in Logic, Language and Epistemology
Third Pisa Colloquium in Logic, Language and Epistemology Essays in Honour of Mauro Mariani and Carlo Marletti Edited by Luca Bellotti, Luca Gili, Enrico Moriconi, Giacomo Turbanti preview please visit www.edizioniets.com for further details Edizioni ETS pagine editoriali.indd 5 10/04/19 09:10 www.edizioniets.com © Copyright 2019 Edizioni ETS Palazzo Roncioni - Lungarno Mediceo, 16, I-56127 Pisa [email protected] www.edizioniets.com Distribuzione Messaggerie Libri SPA Sede legale: via G. Verdi 8 - 20090 Assago (MI) Promozione PDE PROMOZIONE SRL via Zago 2/2 - 40128 Bologna ISBN 978-884675519-3 pagine editoriali.indd 6 10/04/19 09:10 i “Libro” — 2019/4/10 — 8:25 — page 9 — #1 i i i CONTENTS Preface 13 Enrico Moriconi The philosophical work of Mauro Mariani 15 Luca Gili The philosophical work of Carlo Marletti 21 Giacomo Turbanti An informal exposition of von Neumann’s consistency proof 25 Luca Bellotti Paradoxes and set existence 47 Andrea Cantini On false antecedent in dialetheic entailment 59 Massimiliano Carrara Future contingents, Supervaluationism, and relative truth 69 Roberto Ciuni and Carlo Proietti An informational approach to feasible deduction 89 Marcello D’Agostino From logistiké to logistique: the long travel of a word 117 Miriam Franchella and Anna Linda Callow On the size of infinite sets: some Wittgensteinian themes 139 Pasquale Frascolla i i i i i “Libro” — 2019/4/10 — 8:25 — page 10 — #2 i i i 10 CONTENTS Sellars and Carnap on emergence. Some preliminary remarks 153 Carlo Gabbani Is Aristotle’s matter ordinary stuff? 167 Gabriele Galluzzo Knowledge and Ockhamist branching time 181 Pierdaniele Giaretta and Giuseppe Spolaore A dialectical analysis of Metaphysics Q 3 199 Luca Gili In defense of theories and structures in semantics. -
The Moral Self Summer 2011
The Moral Self Summer 2011 Description This course will examine the nature of moral status. First, we will ask what it takes to have moral status. Do you have to be alive? Sentient? Autonomous? Second, we will ask whether groups can have moral status. For example, do nations, species, ecosystems, etc. have moral rights and/or duties? Third, we will ask whether parts of individuals can have moral status. For example, if a person has multiple personality disorder (or multiple personalities in a non-pathological sense), do their personalities have moral duties to each other? And do we have moral duties to our past or future selves more generally? Finally, we will ask when in life moral status begins and ends. Do we have moral duties to embryos and corpses? What about past and future generations? General Information • Time: M/W 6:00-9:00 • Place: TISC LC1 • Instructor: Jeff Sebo • Email: jeff[email protected] • Office: 285 Mercer, #902 • Office hours: by appointment • Course website: jeffsebo.net/teaching/ 1 Readings The required books for this course are: • David DeGrazia, Human Identity and Bioethics • Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons • John Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality You can find the required books at Bluestockings (172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington) as well as online. All readings not from the required book will be posted on blackboard. Grading Your grades will be determined as follows: • Papers (70%): You can write either two 10-page papers (35% each) or one 20-page paper (70%) on the topic of your choice. -
Protosociology an International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research
Kolumne 1 ProtoSociology An International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Volume 30, 2013 Concepts – Contemporary and Historical Perspectives www.protosociology.de © ProtoSociology Volume 30/2013: Concepts – Contemporary and Historical Perspectives 2 Contents © 2013 Gerhard Preyer Frankfurt am Main http://www.protosociology.de [email protected] Erste Aulage / irst published 2013 ISSN 1611–1281 Bibliograische Information Der Deutschen Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen National bibliograie; detaillierte bibliograische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.ddb. de abrufbar. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Das Werk einschließlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Je de Ver wertung außerhalb der engen Grenzen des Urheberrechtsgesetzes ist ohne Zu stimmung der Zeitschirft und seines Herausgebers unzulässig und strafbar. Das gilt insbesondere für Vervielfältigungen, Über setzungen, Mikroveril mungen und die Einspeisung und Verarbeitung in elektronischen Systemen. Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbiblio graie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or trans mitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of ProtoSocio logy. Volume 30/2013: Concepts – Contemporary and Historical Perspectives © ProtoSociology Kolumne 3 -
This Volume on the Vienna Circle's Influence in the Nordic Countries
Vol. 8, no. 1 (2013) Category: Review essay Written by Carlo Penco This volume on the Vienna Circle’s influence in the Nordic countries gives a very interesting presentation of an almost forgotten landmark. In the years preceding the Second World War, European philosophy was at the high point of its intellectual vitality. Everywhere philosophical societies promoted a dense network of connections among scholars, with international meetings and strong links among individuals and associations. In this context, the Vienna Circle emerges as one of the many, also if probably the most well-known, centres of diffusion of a new style of philosophy, closely linked to the new logic and with a strongly empiricist attitude. At the same time, empiricism, formal logic and psychology constituted (and still constitute) the common background of most of the Nordic philosophers, a background which permitted them to develop connections with Vienna’s cultural environment (well known also for the work of psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, but also Charlotte and Karl Bühler). This piece of history, although limited to the connection between Nordic philosophy and Vienna Circle, helps to clarify the history of European philosophy, and the sharp difference of Nordic philosophy in respect of the development of philosophy in Southern and Central Europe in the half a century following the Second World War. The editors say in the introduction: . one of the least known networks of the Vienna Circle is the “Nordic connection”. This connection had a continuing influence for many of the coming decades, beginning with the earliest phase of the Vienna Circle and continuing with a number of adaptations and innovations well into contemporary times. -
Personal Identity and Immortality
Personal Identity and Immortality I. Some Background (A) The Self The questions “Who am I?” “What am I?” and “Will I survive my bodily death?” are fundamental questions in human existence. Not surprisingly, however, they don’t admit of obvious or simple answers. As you will recall, Descartes argued that he was essentially a thinking thing or a mind (“sum res cogitans”) and that the mind could exist apart from the body. (That is, it is conceptually possible for the mind to exist apart from the body, and, therefore, presumably we have some philosophical wiggle-room for an afterlife.) As I have said, Descartes’s view led him to an ontology that many have considered unattractive. But there also be something odd in the idea that we can look inside ourselves and determine what or who we are. Consider the flaky saying, “I need (to go to California) to find myself.” What could possibly count as the thing to be found? What is one looking for? David Hume offered a brilliant critique of the idea that one kind find one’s self through introspection. “When I turn my reflection on myself, I never can perceive this self without some one or more perceptions; nor can I ever perceive any thing but the perceptions. It is the composition of these, therefore, which forms the self.” (Treatise, Appendix) In other words, we have no direct knowledge of or experience of the self; we only have knowledge of particular sensations, memories, and so on. We must suppose that there is something that underlies or bundles together these sensations, and that is the self.