2011 Fall Proseminar Professor Blog

1st Class: August 30, 2011

Class:

Thanks for helping the course get off to a good start last night. I'm really looking forward to our philosophical work together. As I said last night, this class offers you some great opportunities to get the big picture on the range of philosophical projects going on today (at least in the English speaking philosophical community). It's also a class that encourages you to pursue topics of your own choice, and practice research skills in pursuing them. We'll look at some crucial "turning points" in philosophy of the last 400 years, but we will also fill out our schedule with topics like the ones you all mentioned last night.

No matter what the topic or problem under discussion (and it's hard to avoid thinking about philosophy as posing problems), we should always be self-conscious about our methods and approaches in doing philosophy. In the early weeks of the semester, I hope you'll try to notice (in this class and others) how you are using (or not using) particular methods in constructing philosophical points of view. See the two versions of the article on philosophical methods on the course wiki for more information about this. In any case, content and method are dual concerns of the course. Sometimes we focus too much on teaching you lots of philosophy without making sure that your ability to practice philosophy is developing as well. Conversation and writing are the main occasions for practicing method and philosophy. Isn't it wonderful that philosophy is so social?!

The reading packets for next week are outside my door. I'll try to have them to distribute in class in the future.

We do try to have deserts for class, but maybe we'll organize that next week.

Looking forward to our first working class next week.

Alfino