First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-21)

Topic

Being and Becoming: An Introduction to Western Met

Instructors

Abigail Kathleen Iturra

Meeting Info

Kresge 3438 Philosophy Sem. Rm: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that asks some of the most fundamental questions about reality and existence. What does it mean for something to exist? What is reality as a whole? How can something remain the same while changing over time? Is the world we experience real, or could it be an illusion? Why does anything exist at all rather than nothing?
Many of these questions lead to a central debate in metaphysics: the relationship between Being and Becoming and which counts as ‘true reality.' Being has often been thought as what is real, lasting, or unchanging, while Becoming has been thought of as its opposite, referring to the world of change, growth, and passing away. Throughout the history of Western philosophy, thinkers have disagreed about how we should understand this relationship. Some have argued that what is truly real must be permanent and unchanging, such as an eternal idea, God, or an underlying essence. From this perspective, the changing world we experience may seem less real or less fundamental. Other philosophers have challenged this view, arguing that change is not something separate from reality but is part of what reality itself is.
In this course we will study this age-old debate by considering some of its central figures and their various arguments. Readings will include selections from Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. Due to the immensity of this historical debate, we can only survey some of the key turns that have profoundly shaped the tradition.Throughout the course, we will also ask a broader question: How might our understanding of reality shape the way we live? In other words, what difference would it make to our lives if we accepted one philosopher's account of what is truly real over another's?

Learning Objectives

Students will develop an overview understanding of one of the deepest questions the history of western philosophy has grappled with, gaining an appreciation for its complexities and implications for how we lead our lives.

Students will also learn about various key western philosophical thinkers and their transformative contributions to western philosophy.

Students will develop reading comprehension and oral presentation skills through course assignments.

Students will also develop their ability to think through difficult, often unanswerable, questions and learn to pose further questions as we go along the course. They will find that open questions are very productive, even if they remain unsolved.

Class Materials (Required)

Class materials will be provided to the students.

Short selections from: Heraclitus and Parmenides fragments (can be found online) Plato's Republic Aristotle's Metaphysics St. Thomas Aquinas' 'On Being and Essence' and 'Summa Theologiae' Descartes' Meditations Nietzsche's 'Will to Power' and 'The Gay Science' Heidegger, 'Being and Time'

Class Notes

Final Exam - in-person during finals week

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required