180046 PS Ontology and Metaphysics (2017W)

SEMINAR STRUCTURE (PRE-READ): The course will be structured as a seminar, with selected readings to be done before the class -- except for the sessions in which I will introduce a certain debate! Each pre-read section will consist of a presentation of the assigned material followed by a discussion in class. All students are warmly invited to participate. All kinds of comments and questions will be considered and addressed (as long as they are on topic, of course). Participation in class will count for the final assessment.

PRESENTATION: At the beginning of the seminar series, students will be asked to pick one of the readings and present it during the scheduled session. Joint presentations are possible in case the number of students exceeds the number of readings. A presentation is a short report (30 minutes max) of the contents of the paper, preferably in a schematic and concise form (e.g. by using bullet points, tables, diagrams, etc.). It should include a brief final section where critical questions are raised, which may serve to guide the subsequent discussion in class.

ESSAY: Once the seminar series is completed, each student should write and deliver a final 3000-word essay on one of the topics covered during the semester. It is possible to write one's essay on the same paper that was picked for a presentation, as long as the essay takes into account further literature. The essay should begin by outlining the chosen topic, argument or problem and should proceed to critically assess it. A positive, original proposal is not mandated.

The essay's topic should be agreed upon beforehand with the instructor, by sending a 200-word abstract before the end of the semester. Bibliographical references and further advice on essay-writing will be provided in due course.