CONTENTS

Foreword

1. First year courses

2. Continuing with Philosophy

3. How can you continue with Philosophy ?

4. Majoring in Philosophy

5. What are the requirements ?

6. Types of course

7. Nuclear courses for 1996/97

8. Additional courses for 1996/97

9. Thesis

10. Courses for 1997/98

11. Postgraduate study

12. Names and biographies

13. Preference form inserted

IF you are considering taking philosophy courses, this booklet may help you. It contains information about the courses to be offered in the year 1996/97, and about the syllabus as a whole. You will also find some suggestions about subjects with which philosophy could make a good combination.

Information and advice may be obtained from the head of the department, though enquiries about specific courses may be made directly to the lecturers giving those courses.

THERE are three first-year half-courses in philosophy which differ in their focus:

* 07103 Introduction to philosophy: values, ethics and politics

(available to Arts and to Social Sciences students)

* 07102 Introduction to philosophy: the human mind

(available to Arts and to Social Sciences students)

* 07101 Introduction to the philosophy of social science

(available to Arts, Science, and Social Sciences students)

07103 Introduction to philosophy: values, ethics and politics first semester

Lecturers: Dr Bell and Dr Lau

In a letter to his student, the famous philosopher Wittgenstein writes, `what is the use of studying philosophy if all that it does for you is to enable you to talk with some plausibility about some abstruse questions of logic, etc., and if it does not improve your thinking about the important questions of everyday life, if it does not make you more conscientious'. This course aims to provide a general introduction to philosophy, but it is especially designed for those who want to think about some of the religious, moral and political issues we face in our lives.

We will begin by discussing some general issues in philosophy : What are the principles that distinguish between good and bad reasoning ? What is the nature of scientific knowledge ? We then move on to questions concerning religion and ethics : Are there powerful arguments for religious belief ? Are there objective standards for rights and wrong ? Or is it that right actions are simply those that promote the most happiness ? Practical issues in ethics such as abortion might also be discussed.

Next, we discuss more general issues in political philosophy: What makes a society a just one ? Does political thinking require moral foundations ? Is there a necessary trade-off between freedom and community ? Should men and women be treated equally in social and political life ? Is there an East Asian challenge to Western liberalism ? We will discuss both classical and contemporary approaches to these questions.

One component of this course is a computer-aided logic package. This will include logic exercises which students go through at their own pace.

Combinations : any

Examination : two-hour examination

Prerequisites : none

07102 Introduction to philosophy: the human mind second semester

Lecturer: Professor Goldstein

The aim of this course is to provide a general introduction to philosophy, with an emphasis on understanding the human mind and what makes us distinctively human * our ability to communicate, to reason, to judge our own actions and the actions of others, to establish rules for living together. Questions to be discussed include: What is the relation between thinking and speaking ? Could a computer possess understanding ? What kind of mistakes do we make when reasoning, and why do we make them? What are pains, dreams, thoughts, and what is the difference between creatures that have such things and creatures that don't ? What is a good life ? Should there be limits set to what people should be allowed to say and do in public ? Can we prove God's existence by thought alone ?

One component of the course is a computer-aided package in elementary logic. This is available in the Department and requires about three to four hours of study. Students go through the lessons at their own pace.

Preparatory Reading

The course text is L. Goldstein, The Philosopher's Habitat (London and New York, Routledge, 1990). This text demands no prior knowledge of philosophy, and all or parts of it can be read before the course starts. Another useful introductory text is Keith Lehrer, Philosophical Problems and Arguments (Indianapolis, Hackett, 1992).

Combinations : any

Examination : two-hour examination

Prerequisites : none

07101 Introduction to the Philosophy of Social Science second semester

Lecturer : Professor Moore

The social sciences have as a central concern attempts to understand human behaviour at the social or individual level. This attempt is shared by other scientific and humanistic disciplines.

We start this course by asking a general question: what kinds of explanation are there ? and how do they function ? We shall distinguish between the form of explanation which consists in interpreting behaviour, and the form of explanation which consists in appealing to some causal principle or law. Further questions then arise about the nature of laws, and the nature of causality.

Given their central concern, the social sciences make systematic use of mental terms. They consider what people believe and intend, what their motives are, what difference there is between shame and guilt, and so on and so on. In other words, they start from the fact that people have minds. But what is the mind, and what is its relation to the body ? We shall look at some of the answers that have been offered to this question.

Finally, it seems that much human behaviour involves following rules. Are there any rules which are, or should be universal (such as rules of rationality ?) Are all rules artificial ? Why is the prohibition on incest universal ? What is the relation between rules of custom, and moral rules ? What is the nature of human values, and what is the relation between fact and value ?

The course is supplemented by our computer-aided logic package (see above in the last paragraph of the `Introduction to philosophy: the human mind' course description).

Preparatory Reading :

Martin Hollis, The Philosophy of Social Science: an introduction, Cambridge University Press, 1994

Combinations : any, but especially suitable for BA students intending to take courses in the Faculty of Social Sciences as well as students from the Faculty of Social Sciences

Examination : two-hour examination

Prerequisites : None

OF the large number of students taking philosophy in their first year, in the Faculties of Arts, Science, or Social Sciences, many continue their studies of the subject. There are many good reasons for the belief that philosophy is a subject worth pursuing, varying from interest in the subject itself, through recognition of the fruitful way in which it can combine with other subjects, to the view that an academic training is crucially incomplete without a strong philosophical component. As far as career prospects are concerned, students who have taken philosophy are at least as well placed as those who have studied other non-vocational courses. In fact, recent evidence from the USA shows that over a period of some ten years there, philosophy majors did consistently much better than average in graduate admissions tests, including admissions to graduate studies in professional areas like business (where philosophy majors, together with mathematics majors, did consistently better than graduates of all other disciplines).

If your first year work in philosophy has left you somewhat bewildered, you should not be discouraged by this from carrying on. Philosophy is a difficult and challenging subject, and such bewilderment can be a sign of a philosophical turn of mind. It is often a good starting point.

ARTS Faculty regulations allow Arts students to take up to eight whole papers (sixteen half papers) in philosophy. Philosophy may be combined with any other Arts subject, and with Social Science subjects. Students taking the equivalent of four whole papers in philosophy may take up to the equivalent of four whole papers in Social Science subjects (unlike other Arts students who are limited to the equivalent of three Social Science papers).

Social Science Faculty regulations allow Social Science students to take the equivalent of up to eight of their sixteen final papers in philosophy.

The Science Faculty syllabus provides for an optional half-course entitled Philosophy of the Sciences to be available to B.Sc. students. This course is normally given only in alternate years. It will be given in 1997/98.

THE Faculty of Arts has now introduced a `major' requirement. Students taking up second year work are required to major in one or two `disciplinary fields'.

I. One disciplinary field is Politics and Philosophy; the details of this major are contained in a separate, accompanying, booklet.

II. Another disciplinary field is Linguistics and Philosophy; this will be open to second year students in 1996/97. Some of the details of this programme are still to be finalised. A separate notice will be issued about this shortly.

III. The requirements for a major in the disciplinary field of Philosophy are these:

(i) You must do at least half of your 2nd/3rd Year work in philosophy*that is, you must do at least eight half courses in philosophy;

(ii) These eight or more courses must include at least four nuclear courses;

(iii) These four or more courses must include one from each of three groups of courses*general philosophy; the history of philosophy; normative philosophy. The members of these three groups are set out below.

So, at least 8 courses; at least four nuclear courses; and at least one from each of the three groups. Easy!

But do make sure to discuss your selection of courses with teachers in the department; in particular, the head of department.

*General Philosophy

this group of courses comprises Epistemology (07263), Metaphysics (07264), The Mind (07265), Philosophy East and West: Metaphysical Topics (07260), Philosophy of Language (07242) and Philosophy of Logic (07248)

*History of Philosophy

this group of courses comprises the Beginnings of Philosophy (07284) and Early Modern Philosophy (07285)

*Normative Philosophy

this group of courses comprises Theories of Morality (07267), Topics in Moral Philosophy (07268), Theories of Society (07269), Topics in Social Philosophy (07270) and Philosophy East and West: Ethical Topics (07259).

STUDENTS enrolling in second and third year philosophy courses should normally have taken course 07103 Introduction to philosophy: values, ethics and politics, or 07102 Introduction to philosophy: the human mind, or course 07101 Introduction to the Philosophy of Social Science.

There is no second or third year courses which all students are required to take: so it is possible for you to choose courses which are closest to your interests and needs, or according to their suitability for combination with other subjects which you are taking.

ALL second and third year courses in philosophy are `half-courses' lasting from ten to twelve weeks. Most are open to both second and third year students, though, in some cases, prerequisites for taking a course may be specified. There are three different kinds of course*nuclear courses, additional courses and reading courses.

The thirteen nuclear courses are put on regularly and are central to the work of the department. Nuclear courses are aimed at making possible a basic understanding of some main areas of philosophy. Note that there are two courses in the history of philosophy. These are given each year and are designated as second-year courses. They provide a very useful basis for further work in the third year, especially for those students majoring in philosophy.

Additional courses make it possible for teachers in the department to give courses on topics close to their research interests, and for students to follow up topics of special interest to them. Subject to some organizational constraints, the choice of additional courses to be given is determined both by the teachers providing a `menu' in the present booklet, and by students indicating their preferences or suggesting additions to the menu. Please take part in this activity by filling in and returning the form at the end of this booklet.

Certain additional courses which lend themselves to such treatment may be offered as reading courses. This may occur when only a few students are interested in taking a course. In reading courses, no lectures are given, and the course is basically a programme of supervised reading.

Second and third year courses usually consist of one or two lecture hours each week. Tutorials are a very important part of our work. The usual pattern, introduced after an experimental period in which reactions of students and teachers were monitored, provides three individual tutorials for each student in each course, although other patterns are sometimes adopted.

07284 The Beginnings of Philosophy first semester

Lecturers : Dr Bell and Professor Hansen

The beginnings of philosophy set certain basic questions that tended to endure and to characterize whole philosophical traditions. We will look at and contrast two "beginnings" of philosophy: one in China and one in Greece. We will focus on the different kinds of questions and attitudes that motivated philosophical reflection and the first early theories proposed. We will trace some central themes in the presocratic philosophers through Plato and Aristotle and some related themes running from Confucius through Mozi, Mencius and Zhuangzi. This will give us a basis to examine more carefully and critically some of the grand generalizations about the differences between Western and Chinese philosophy.

Preparatory reading :

Hansen, A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought (Oxford University Press 1992)

Irwin, Classical Thought (Oxford University Press 1989)

Julia Annas, An Introduction to Plato's Republic (Clarendon Press, Oxford)

Combinations : This course would be a foundation for nearly any other philosophy course at the university. It would most naturally be followed by Early Modern Philosophy or either of the East-West courses.

Examination : The examination paper will be composed of questions chosen from a list made known in advance.

07285 Early Modern Philosophy second semester

Lecturer : Dr James

It is no accident that what we call Early Modern Philosophy started at the same time as modern science, for many philosophical questions arise from the broader aspects of scientific enquiry. Questions such as: `What is the world really made of ?' and `How much of that world can we ever really know ?' set the scene for what have become classic philosophical issues. This course will take a topics-based approach to the history of philosophy in a way which shows the connections between the various early modern philosophers. (This has two advantages: it enables us to rely much less upon the difficult primary texts; and it allows us to see philosophy in action when we compare one philosopher's views on a particular issue with that of another philosopher).

Preparatory Reading :

Two excellent elementary texts cover a lot of ground:

R.S. Woolhouse The Empiricists, and J. Cottingham The Rationalists * both are Oxford University Press paperbacks.

The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy (edited by N.F. Bunnin and E.P. Tsui-James) has useful chapters on Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley and Hume.

Prerequisites : none

Combinations : any

Examinations : two-hour examination or by dissertation

07263 Epistemology first semester

Lecturers : Professor Hansen and Dr Martin

This course will examine some of the problems in epistemology arising from the traditional analysis of knowledge and belief. We will look at the theories that link knowledge with certainty, reason, and experience and note the difficulty each has in dealing with the challenge of skepticism. Then we will look at some current naturalistic analyses of knowledge to see if they fare any better. Readings will include selections from C.I. Lewis, W. V. Quine, Alvin Goldman and others.

Preparatory reading : Kornblith, Naturalizing Epistemology

Combinations : the Early Modern Philosophy course is an excellent basis

Examination : The examination paper will be composed of questions chosen from a list made known in advance.

07265 The Mind second semester

Lecturer : Dr Lau

This course divides roughly into two parts. In the first half we will look at more traditional issues in the philosophy of mind. What is the nature of the mind and how does it relate to our body ? Some say that our mind is a spiritual substance. Is such a belief necessarily wrong or unscientific ? Or should we say that the mind is just the brain ?

The focus of the second half of the course is the computer model of the mind. On this approach, having a mind is a matter of running the right kind of computer program. Is this right ? It has been argued that this approach can never explain consciousness or language understanding. Others object that it has been refuted by the discovery of neural networks. Are these criticisms legitimate ? We will be looking at these and other issues in the course.

Preparatory reading :

For a short introduction to the subject see Paul Churchland, Matter and Consciousness (MIT Press, 1988).

There are also many excellent anthologies available. For example, William Lycan's Mind and Cognition and Peter Ludlow's The Philosophy of mind : classical problems/contemporary issues.

Prerequisites : none

Combinations : any, but philosophy and cognitive science is of course especially relevant.

07270 Topics in Social Philosophy first semester

Lecturer : Dr Martin

The first half of the course will be devoted to theories of holism and individualism: ontological, methodological, and ethical. Questions to be considered include: is the aim of morality and politics to further the good of the community as a whole, or to further the good of the individuals who make it up ? Is there a difference ? How can we best understand the place of the individual in society ? How seriously should society take a single individual ? How seriously should a single individual take the society as a whole ? Western and Chinese perspectives will be considered.

The second half of the course will focus more narrowly on two or three of the following topics: liberty*its value and limits; laws*their origins, nature and relation to moral theory; rights*natural, human, civil, etc.; justice*Rawls and Nozick.

Preparatory reading :

A. Nathan, Chinese Democracy

J. Feinberg, Social Philosophy

Combinations : any, but work in ethics or political science may be especially relevant

Examinations : two-hour examination

07269 Theories of Society second semester

Lecturers : Dr Bell and Dr Martin

The course is concerned with major theories of how societies are, or should be, organized. Topics include liberalism, democratic theory, Marxism, feminism, and conservatism. We shall study both the classic texts of each position, as well as contemporary developments.

Preparatory Reading:

Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy : An Introduction (Oxford 1990)

R.P. Wolff, In Defense of Anarchism (NY: Harper, 1976)

Combinations : any, but work in ethical theory or political science may be especially relevant

Examinations : two-hour examination

07260 Philosophy East & West: Metaphysical Topics first semester

Lecturer : Professor Hansen

This course will focus on the conceptual differences that distinguish metaphysical thought in Classical China from that of the West. The course will trace the implicit metaphysical assumptions in Confucian and Mohist linguistic theories and then study its development in Daoism (Laozi), its more sophisticated forms in the Later Mohists and the School of Names, and finally in Zhuangzi's relativism and Xunzi's. We will look briefly at later more religious and uncritical developments in Pre-Buddhist Yin-yang and proto-scientific 5-element theory.

Texts :

A.C. Graham, Later Mohist Logic, Ethics and Science

Chad Hansen, A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought

Combinations : any, a knowledge of the history of western philosophy will help understand the contrasts

Examination : The examination paper will be composed of questions chosen from a list made known in advance.

07248 Philosophy of Logic first semester

Lecturers : Laurence Goldstein and Joe Lau

If Laurence is having an argument with Joe, and draws a conclusion, Joe might say `That conclusion does not follow'. Logicians are interested in what follows from what, in other words, they want to know what it is to make a correct inference. Someone might say that a correct inference is one that never leads us from truth to falsity. That suggestion immediately raises the question of what truth is. In fact, when we start thinking about inference, a number of other concepts come to our attention: logical constants, propositions, necessity, consequence, logical form, and so on. Various questions force themselves upon us: `What is the relation of Logic to reasoning ?'; `What does the existence of paradoxes tell us about our accepted logical principles ?'; `What is the best way to represent arguments in ordinary language if we wish to study the validity of such arguments ?' `Are there types of discourse which are by nature fuzzy, demanding a fuzzy logic for their representation ?'; `Must logic fit empirical facts, or is it a `pure' discipline ?' These are the sorts of question we shall be considering in this course.

Text: Stephen Read, Thinking about Logic (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1994)

Combinations : any

Examination : two-hour examination

Prerequisites : one of the first-year courses in Philosophy

07327 Seminar in Political Philosophy first semester

Lecturers : Dr D Bell (Philosophy) and

Dr J Chan (Politics & Public Administration)

This seminar, taught by staff of the Department of Politics & Public Administration and the Department of Philosophy, provides an opportunity to study in some depth some of the most recent issues and developments in political philosophy. These issues include recent theories of justice, communitarian critique of liberalism, and ethical issues in global politics such as distributive justice between states, justice between generations, environmental ethics, and international enforcement of human rights, and other issues which may be considered appropriate.

In 1996-97 this course will focus more specifically on the East Asian challenge to Western liberalism. We will discuss such topics as the East Asian contribution to the international discourse on human rights and the relevance of liberal democracy in an East Asian context.

Prerequisites : This course is intended primarily for students meeting the requirements specified in the curriculum for the major in Philosophy and Politics; however the course will also however be available to all second- and third-year philosophy students.

Examination : There will be no written examination, and grades for this course will be awarded solely on the basis of coursework.

A major in Linguistics and Philosophy is scheduled to begin in 1996. Further details of this programme will be announced shortly, when the administrative details have been settled, but it is intended that the programme should be open to second year BA students who have passed one of the first year philosophy courses and the Introduction to Linguistics course in the English Department. If you think you might wish to enrol for this major, please contact the head of the department for further information and advice.

OF the nine courses described in the following pages, at least six will probably be put on. Courses which may be given as reading courses are marked R, and those examined by dissertation are marked D. Please indicate your own preferences on the form which you will find at the end of this booklet.

07230 Descartes

Lecturer : Dr James

The standard accounts of Descartes' philosophy have tended to focus on his late metaphysics and epistemology, but this course is intended as an introduction to many more of the interesting aspects of Descartes' thought. We will, of course, discuss some of the standard issues in their rightful place (and discuss what that place might be), but we will also consider Descartes' contributions to, and philosophical thoughts about, e.g. physics, mathematics, and medicine. (N.B. No specialist knowledge of these areas is required). The reading will be a combination of Descartes' primary texts (recently published in a very clear translation) and contemporary secondary material.

Preparatory reading :

J.Cottingham The Cambridge Companion to Descartes (1992) covers both the development of Descartes' thought, and some other central topics.

Otherwise the main preparation should be reading the primary texts.

The Philosophical Writings of Descartes (translated by Cottingham, Stoothoff & Murdoch - 3 vols) contains nearly everything we will use.

By far the best secondary text is S.Gaukroger's Descartes: An Intellectual Biography (O.U.P. 1995).

Prerequisites : None

Combinations : Any

Examination : two hour exam or by dissertation

07293 Marxist PhilosophyD

Lecturers : Dr Bell and Dr James

This course aims to provide an introduction to Marxist social and political thought. The first part of the course will examine Marx's views on history, alienation, the state and revolution, drawing principally on Marx's original texts. The second part of the course will analyze 20th century interpretations of Marx's ideas by Anglo-American analytical philosophers (such as G.A. Cohen and Jon Elster), American pragmatists (such as John Dewey and Sidney Hook), and Chinese political activists and thinkers (such as Sun Yat-sen and Mao Zedong).

Preparatory reading : Jon Elster, Karl Marx: an introduction, Cambridge University Press, 1986

07283 Rorty and NeopragmatismR

Lecturer : Dr James

Richard Rorty has recently become notorious for his criticism of the picture of reality which, he says, underlies much modern philosophy. He questions the subject/object distinction and the view that the aim of science and language is to `represent' objective reality, to argue instead for a view which he calls `Antirepresentationalism.' One of the unique features of his work is that he attempts to combine the insights he finds in analytic philosophers (such as Quine and Davidson) with those from the pragmatic and continental traditions (such as Heidegger, Dewey, Wittgenstein).

The course will consist of a critical study of his main work Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, and some recent essays in Objectivity, Relativism and Truth. We shall also be comparing his views with other modern neo-pragmatists such as Hilary Putnam, Donald Davision, and W.V. Quine.

Prerequisites : none

Combinations : any, but courses in the mind, epistemology and Wittgenstein are especially relevant.

Examination : two hour examination or by dissertation

07253 Philosophy of Social ScienceRD

Lecturer : Professor Moore

This course will be a critical examination of modes of explanation used by the social sciences, and will proceed by case studies. Which cases are taken will depend on the interests and knowledge of those who enrol for the course.

Preparatory reading :

Martin Hollis, The Philosophy of Social Science: an introduction, Cambridge University Press, 1994

Combinations : any, but social science subjects are espeically suitable

Examination : either dissertation or 2-hour written examination

07236 Sartre and phenomenologyRD

Lecturer : Professor Moore

Are the emotions an accident of human life ? Can we imagine beings like ourselves in every other way, but who felt no emotions ? Or can we imagine beings like ourselves whose emotions were entirely different from our own ?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then a philosophically interesting account of the emotions becomes possible. In this course, the main focus will be on Sartre's theory, for which the main texts are:

Reading :

J-P Sartre, Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions (translated by Philip Mairet), Methuen 1962

J-P Sartre, Being and Nothingness (translated by Hazel Barnes),

New York 1956

Combinations : any, but combinations with literary subjects or with psychology would be especially appropriate.

Examination : either dissertation or 2-hour written examination

07238 Carnap and Quine

Lecturer : Dr Lau

In this course we will be discussing the philosophy of both W.V. Quine and Rudolf Carnap. Quine is one of the most important American philosophers in the post-WWII period, but one cannot understand Quine without seeing how his philosophy constitutes a reaction to Carnap's doctrines. As the Oxford philosopher Michael Dummett wrote, "the most influential American practitioners of analytical philosophy, from Quine down, are people whose philosophical formation was Carnapian, and whose thought can be understood only as the outcome of a painful effort to scrutinise and correct certain of Carnap's fundamental doctrines." Carnap himself was a major figure of Logical Positivism, and throughout his life he tried to defend a systematic and scientific conception of philosophy. Carnap's work ranges over diverse topics in philosophy, including the foundations of logic and mathematics, scientific methodology, probability theory, meta-ethics and the theory of meaning. In this course we will examine Carnap's theories on some of these topics and Quine's reaction to them.

Prerequisites : none

Combinations : any

07244 Moral Problems

Lecturer : Professor Hansen

Philosophy often appears to be remote from the concerns of practical life, yet it seems that moral philosophy at least ought to be able to contribute towards the solution of moral problems. In this course the claim that moral philosophy can make such a contribution will be supported by an examination of philosophers' attempts to elucidate and sometimes solve various moral problems. Among topics that may be discussed are abortion, capital punishment, lying, violence, censorship, sex, animal rights, the environment.

Preparatory reading : Frankena, Ethics (Prentice-Hall)

Combinations : any

Examination : The examination paper will be composed of questions chosen from a list made known in advance.

07282 Philosophical Chinese

Lecturer : Professor Hansen

In this course we will learn to analyze the language used in the Classical texts of Chinese philosophy. Grammatical and semantic theory will guide our construction of arguments for or against published interpretation and translations of the Daode Jing. We will also analyze some passages from the Analects of Confucius, The Mozi, The Mencius and The Zhuangzi. Students will each present an analysis of one chapter of The Daode Jing and criticize existing English translations Chinese commentaries.

Preparatory reading : Students may pre-read the grammatical section of A.C. Graham, Later Mohist Logic Ethics and Science and the methodology section of Chad Hansen, Language and Logic in Ancient China, or A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought.

Prerequisites : none

Combinations : any, but the course will complement courses on phrase-structure grammar, theory of language, Literary Chinese grammar, and any courses in Classical Chinese thought.

Examination : The examination paper will be composed of questions chosen from a list published in advance.

07287 Philosophy of Law

Lecturer : Professor Hansen

We will set the scene by contrasting classical Western and Chinese views of law. Then we will focus on what moral and political presuppositions are required to justify the rule of law. This will guide our view of how one ought to reason in interpreting the law, and finally see what the implications of theory of law are for our views of punishment, rights, justice, equality, responsibility, insanity, and negligence. This course should help you evaluate the arguments for the importance of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

Preparatory reading :

Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously

Feinberg and Gross, Readings in Philosophy of Law

Combinations : any ethical or political theory

Examination : The examination paper will be composed of questions chosen from a list made known in advance.

STUDENTS opting for second year work in philosophy for 1996/97 will wish to know what will be available for them in 1997/98.

At least the following nuclear courses will be available:

07264 Metaphysics

An investigation of some main topics, such as realism and nominalism, particular and universal, transcendental arguments, space and time.

07267 Theories of Morality

An investigation of some main theories, such as those of Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Mill, G.E. Moore, Rawls.

07268 Topics in Moral Philosophy

An investigation of some main topics, such as the fact/value distinction, the meaning of `good', ethical consistency, moral scepticism, moral weakness, morality and the emtoions.

07259 Philosophy East and West: Ethical Topics

An introduction to comparative moral philosophy, with readings drawn largely from the Confucian tradition, as well as from Western sources.

07242 Philosophy of Language

What is a language, and what is involved in knowing or understanding a language ? In this course we will see how philosophers and linguists answer such questions as the following: What can logic tell us about the grammar of natural languages ? Are human beings born with a universal grammar ? What makes a word meaningful ? What is the difference between what we mean and what we convey when we say something ? How does a metaphor work ? Can we learn something from slips of the tongue about the nature of language ?

In addition, about eight additional courses will be offered. Note that it is unlikely that the same additional course will be given two years running. The additional courses will be chosen from the following list, but those which are offered in this pamphlet, and which may therefore be put on next year, and would in that case not be available in 1997/98, are marked with an asterisk.

Group 1. Philosophical Texts

07289 Confucius

07228 Plato

07229 Aristotle

07290 Mencius

07291 Zhuangzi

07230 *Descartes

07258 Locke and Leibniz

07231 Hume

07233 Kant's critical philosophy

07293 *Marxist Philosophy

07271 Russell

07234 Wittgenstein I

07235 Wittgenstein II

07236 *Sartre and phenomenology

07238 *Carnap and Quine

07283 Rorty and Neopragmatism

Group 2. Philosophical topics

07245 Philosophy of literature

07246 Philosophy and psychoanalysis

07249 Philosophy of mathematics

0725l Philosophy of religion

07252 Philosophy of the sciences

07253 *Philosophy of social science

07243 Logic

07244 *Moral problems

07255 Utilitarianism

0724l Free will, responsibility and determinism

07239 Aesthetics I

07256 Aesthetics II

07254 Symbolism

07280 Philosophy and cognitive science

07282 *Philosophical Chinese

07286 Pragmatism

07278 Paradoxes

07287 *Philosophy of Law

07272 Special topic

THE department offers two higher degrees by research, the M.Phil and the Ph.D, and can arrange for supervision over a wide range of philosophical topics. We currently have 17 postgraduate students: 10 at Ph.D. level, and there is a regular graduate seminar at which reports of work in progress are presented.

The main areas of research of the current department members are:

D.A. Bell political philosophy, comparative philosophy

L. Goldstein philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, cognitive science, Wittgenstein

C. Hansen Chinese theory of language, classical Chinese philosophy, Daoism

E.P.T. James history and philosophy of science, James & Dewey, philosophy of mathematics

J.Y.F. Lau philosophy of mind, philosophy of language

M.R. Martin early Confucianism, moral & social philosophy, history of early modern philosophy

F.C.T. Moore philosophy of social science, ethics, philosophy of mind, French philosophy

The following names may be useful:

D.A. Bell, B.A. (McGill); M.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)

L. Goldstein, B.A. (Liv.); Ph.D. (St. Andrews)

C. Hansen, B.A. (Utah); Ph.D. (Michigan)

E.P.T. James, B.A. (Kent); B.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)

(Postgraduate Admissions Tutor)

J.Y.F. Lau, B.A. (Oxon); Ph.D. (MIT)

M.R. Martin, A.B. (Princeton); M.A., Ph.D. (Harvard)

F.C.T. Moore, M.A., D.Phil (Oxon)

Chu Pa Suen, Vivian, MIL; Dip Trans IoL Executive Officer

Lau Tsui Kwan Tai, Ping Clerical Assistant

Wan Li Fung Yi, Loletta Clerical Assistant

Tsang Dick Yue, Dickie Computer Technician

Chan Ching Man, Noelle Chairman, Philosophy Society

Postgraduate students and tutors may include:

Chan Chi Fu, B.A. (HK)

Chan Chong Fai, B.A. (E. Asia); M.A. (York)

Chan Kai Yan, B.A., M.Phil. (CUHK)

Choi Wai Kit, B.A. (Wisconsin-Madison)

Chow Hiu Ling, Bess, B.A. (HK)

Fong Chi Wah, B.A., M.Phil. (HK)

Christopher James Fraser, B.A. (Yale); M.A. (Nat Taiwan)

Huen Siu Sing, B.A. (Lond.); M.A. (Leuven)

Leung Man To, B.A., B.Eng. (HK)

Liang King Hang, B.A. (HK)

Lo Man Chiu, Ll.B. (H.K.); M.A. (Wales); PCLL (HK)

Pang Mei-che, Samantha, B.Phil. (Pontifical Urbanian); M.Sc. (Edin)

Dan Robins, B.A. (McGill)

Wang Yunping, B.Ed. (Fujian Teachers); M.Phil. (Peking)

Wong Ching Wa, B.A. (HK); M.Litt. (St. Andrews)

Wong Wai Yin, Anna, B.A. (HK)

Yu Kam Por, B.A., M.Phil. (HK)

D.A. Bell, B.A. (McGill); M.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)

Daniel Bell was born in Montreal, Canada, the eldest and most important son of a French-speaking mother and an English-speaking father. He went to McGill to major in psychology, but discovered in his final year that political philosophy is far more intellectually stimulating. From there he went to Oxford to pursue a master's and a doctorate in political philosophy, although his studies where interrupted somewhat when he met a fellow graduate student from mainland China who subsequently become his wife. Nonetheless, a revised version of his doctoral thesis entitled Communitarianism and Its Critics was eventually published by Oxford University Press.

The next stop was The National University of Singapore, where he taught political theory for three years. A co-authored book entitled Towards Illiberal Democracy in Pacific Asia emerged from this experience. After that he spent a wonderful year at Princeton University's Center for Human Values, although truth-seeking activities were once again temporarily put on hold following the birth of a 10 pound 4 ounce son. And now he is honored to serve as the newest member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. His initial impressions of the one on one tutorial system are highly favorable * the tutorial is a wonderful way to get to know students !

L. Goldstein, B.A. (Liv.); Ph.D. (St. Andrews)

Laurence Goldstein came to Hong Kong in 1976, after teaching at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. His main area of research at present is the self-referential paradoxes. Most of his postgraduate students work within the general area of the philosophy of logic and language; some have specialised in the study of Wittgenstein, others in the work of Donald Davidson.

At school, Laurence won prizes for languages, but was advised that life is too easy if you study subjects that you are good at. So he specialized in mathematics and physics, and then went to university to read architecture. Architecture is an interesting subject, but to practise it well, one needs basic skills such as the ability to draw. After two years, he had to admit that he didn't possess such skills, but did have a certain ability in the exercise of pure reason. So he changed to philosophy. But he also rode the kilometre in 1 minute 8.0 seconds from a standing start, and this created a difficult career decision: the life of the mind or the life of the body ?

The mind prevailed. Bodily satisfaction is transient and short-lived; it cannot compare with the satisfaction of proving a new result, or generating a compelling argument. But philosophy is tough. It leaves one tired and weak. Nevertheless, Laurence is still a competitive oarsman. He also captains the Philosophy Department staff's (always victorious) 5-a-side football team and will accept the challenge of a squash game from any student; loser gives $100 to the winner.

Within the next year, Laurence hopes to complete two more books, one on Wittgenstein, the other on paradoxes. He is also helping with the running of the new Cognitive Science programme, having struggled for years against conservative forces to get this course of studies into the University's curriculum.

C. Hansen, B.A. (Utah); Ph.D. (Michigan)

Chad Hansen first came to Hong Kong over thirty years ago where he became fascinated with Chinese language and culture and set out to understand and explain Chinese philosophy. Returning to the United States, he went to University where he majored in philosophy then went to the University of Michigan to study for a Ph.D. He studied Mandarin in Taiwan for a year then returned to Hong Kong after a decade for his dissertation research. He finished his dissertation at the University of Michigan and began teaching philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972 where he was enlightened two years later.

From there he went to the University of Vermont after the publication of Language and Logic in Ancient China. Later he was selected as University scholar for his second book, A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought. He has also served as visiting professor at The Universities of Michigan, Hawaii, Hong Kong, UCLA and Stanford before returning to HKU in 1991 where he was appointed Reader in 1992.

He is presently translating the Daode-Jing and writing a book on Comparative East-West Ethics and an introduction to Chinese Philosophy. Besides Chinese philosophy, his main interests are in comparative ethics, philosophy of law, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mind. He values the dynamism of Hong Kong as well as the language and especially the food. He is married to Joyce Wong and has a 4 year old son, James "Hobbes" Hansen.

E.P.T. James, B.A. (Kent); B.Phil., D.Phil. (Oxon)

Eric James came to Hong Kong in 1990. Prior to this he had been a lorry driver, a psychotherapist, a professional musician, and a lecturer for two years at the university of Oxford. Although his initial academic research was concerned with the history and philosophy of mathematics and science, his interests have broadened considerably, as have his teaching areas*both benefiting from H.K.U.'s commendable lack of rigid syllabus restraints. He is presently engaged in a study of pragmatism in all of its forms (historical, `classical' and contemporary) and is preparing an introductory book on the real history of pragmatism.

For the past three years Eric has been engaged in editing a large volume of essays on all aspects of philosophy, The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy. This was published in January 1996, with a Chinese translation available early next year. An off-shoot of this project has been a growing interest in developing academic links with The Summer School of Philosophy: China, Britain, Australia which is held every year in the P.R.C.

Away from the university Eric tries to recapture his youth in music. His days of playing guitar in front of an audience are over, but he has built a computer-based MIDI recording studio in his home and is on the brink of releasing his first solo effort.

J.Y.F. Lau, B.A. (Oxon); Ph.D. (MIT)

Joe Lau left Hong Kong after O' Levels and did two years of high school somewhere in Wales. Having read too many books by Paul Davies, he went to Oxford for physics and philosophy, graduating in 1990. While at Oxford, he was hooked on the philosophy of mind, and decided to go to MIT. He wrote his Ph.D. thesis on semantic and psychological issues regarding belief. He finished in 1994 and came back to Hong Kong to join the Department. His research interests include philosophical issues in cognitive science. Other interests include the philosophy of language and the philosophy of science. His general concern is how the scientific image of human beings as natural objects relates to our understanding of ourselves as thinking and conscious creatures capable of right and wrong. When he is not doing philosophy, he likes to watch movies, go hiking, or surf the world wide web.

M.R. Martin, A.B. (Princeton); M.A., Ph.D. (Harvard)

Dr Martin grew up on the relaxed and environmentally pure shores of Honolulu, Hawaii. After receiving his university and postgraduate training on the east coast of the United States, he came to HKU in 1980. His main philosophical interests are moral and social philosophy, and early Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism. In his teaching Dr Martin's main courses include Topics in Social Philosophy, Theories of Morality, Philosophy East and West: Ethical Topics, and Early Modern Philosophy. Since 1993, Dr Martin has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, after serving five years as Associate Dean. In his leisure time Dr Martin enjoys art collecting, travel and swimming.

F.C.T. Moore, M.A., D.Phil. (Oxon)

My Chinese name is . , because it sounds like my given name `Tim', and because it suggests trying to do something `more' (which also rhymes with my family name). As a student at the University of Oxford, I studied Greek and Latin and Philosophy, but then I did something more, going to France to study a French philosopher. While I was a teacher at the University of Birmingham (UK), I did something more by spending three years teaching philosophy in the Sudan. When I arrived in Hong Kong in 1979 to take up the Chair of Philosophy, it was another new field of activity. We built up the department steadily, in terms of the range of the curriculum and the number of students.

As for my own work, in published books and papers, it ranges quite widely. I have published books and articles on moral philosophy, philosophy of social science, folklore, history of French philosophy, computer aided learning, game theory, and various other subjects. My latest book, on the French philosopher Bergson, will be published soon by Cambridge University Press.

I do not think that we should limit ourselves to a narrow academic view of philosophy. We should do more, intellectually and practically. So should you.

Video-recorded descriptions of some courses are available in the Department's audiovisual room. The purpose is to let you have fuller information about what is on offer so that, on the basis of expressed preferences, the staff can decide which of these courses will be given next year.