PHIL126W - Introduction to Metaphysics

This syllabus provides course information (Part 1), course and university policies (Part 2), and a calendar of events (Part 3).

Part 1. Course Information

• Instructor: David W. Agler (dwa132 AT PSU dot EDU)
• Location: Borland Bldg 111
• Days & Times: MWF 1010-11
• Website: https://www.davidagler.com
• Writing Website:: How to Write Philosophy
• Office Location / Hours: 242 Sparks Building: By appointment and Wednesday 1215-1PM.

Course Description

This course will ask and attempt to answer several questions in metaphysics. The course will first introduce the topic of metaphysics by asking “what is metaphysics”. It will then cover common misconceptions about metaphysics and outline a basic “method of metaphysics”.

The remainder of the course is divided into three units.

In Unit 1, we will consider ontology and persons: or the study of what exists. The course will consider whether everything exists, whether nothing exists, whether God exists, and whether persons exist. Finally, in the remainder of the unit, we consider different accounts of how persons persist through time.

In Unit 2, we will consider whether persons have a power of free will. We will look at contemporary debates and theories concerning whether there is free will at all, how our intuitions concerning our choices conflict with our conception that everything is determined by prior events and the laws of nature, and whether there is a way to reconcile being free in a determined world.

In the final unit (Unit 3), we will consider several questions relating to time. In doing so, we will look at our common sense understanding of time, theories of time (moving spotlight theory, block theory, presentism, growing block theory), whether there is a flow or movement to time, whether there is anything unique or objective about the present moment, and conclude (if space permits) with a discussion of the possibility of time travel.

Finally, this is a writing-intensive course. This does not necessarily mean that you will write a lot. Instead, Penn State takes “writing-intensive” to mean that students in the course will:

1. write to learn in ways that help them think about new material, and
2. learn to write in discipline-specific genres.¹

We will “write to learn” by completing daily writing exercises. These exercises will ask you to explain concepts, create examples that illustrate philosophical ideas, and apply metaphysical ideas to your own life. We will “learn to write” in two ways: (1) we will learn common writing devices and stylistic guidelines employed by professional philosophers, e.g., quoting, citing, and explaining difficult philosophical passages and ideas, putting arguments in standard form and structuring papers in terms of argument standard form, and being concise with one’s writing.

Course Objectives

There are several objectives for this course. By the end of the course you should be able to do all of the following:

• Learn key topics in metaphysics. Articulate and define key ideas, debates, and theories concerning three key topics in metaphysics: time, personal identity, and free will.
• Develop oral expression. Students will develop their ability to engage in respectful conversation with others. Students will be encouraged to formulate their views on questions raised by philosophers, provide reasons for their position, and address the shortcomings of their outlook by considering alternatives.
• Develop writing skills. Students will engage in daily writing assignments where they will practice (1) articulating metaphysical theories, (2) illustrating metaphysical concepts, and (3) defending their positions on metaphysical debates.
• Critical and analytical thinking. Articulate metaphysical theories and the core concepts underlying these theories with the aim to critically evaluate the theories using philosophical and folk intuitions, logic analysis, and science.

Course Materials

1. REQUIRED: Agler, David W. Fall 2026. An Introduction to Metaphysics: Time, Identity, and Free Will. You will receive two versions of this text: (1) a spiral bound copy (distributed in class) and (2) an electronic (pdf) copy. An accessible web copy of this text is also available on request.
2. OPTIONAL. There are three books that I recommend. With respect to time: Dainton, Barry. 2010. Time and Space Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press. ISBN: 978-0773537477. With respect to the metaphysics of persons: Kind, Amy. 2015. Persons and Personal Identity. Polity. ISBN: 978-0745654324 Finally, with respect to free will: Kane, Robert. 2005. A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0195149708

Course Assignments

Assignment	Number	Percentage
DQs	N	40
Quizzes	10	10
Exams	3	20
Writing	13	30

DQs

This course has an assessment called discussion question (DQ) assignments. Completion of this assignment requires attending class and is typically assessed in the form of written assignment. The primary goal of the DQ assignment is to satisfy the “writing to learn” requirement of a writing-intensive course.

• DQ assignments are selected from exercises drawn from the class course packet (or formulated by your instructor in class).
• Most DQ assignments are out of 2 points, but you can earn up to 3 points. To receive more than 2 points, you need to (1) submit an exceptional answer to your the DQ question or (2) engage in regular participation during in class discussion.
• A few DQ assignments are worth more than 2 points. These DQs usually take the form of more extended group activities.

A few answers to common questions about DQs:

1. It is a good idea to complete your DQ with a classmate.
2. If you miss class and provide documentation for your absence, you can only have the assignment waived. You cannot makeup the assignment.
3. If you plan on missing class and do not have documentation, then you should plan ahead by trying to earn more than 2 points on the DQ assignments.

Excused DQ: To be excused from the DQ, you must (1) email me prior to the start of class begins and (2) provide either (a) official documentation that specifically confirms you are unable to attend that particular class session or (b) a university excused class absence form. If it is physically impossible for you to email me before class begins (e.g., coma, incarceration), you must notify your college, campus contact, or Student Care & Advocacy as soon as is reasonable.

See Late Policy for details about late quizzes, papers, and exams.

Quizzes

There are unannounced quizzes in this course.² Quizzes test your basic understanding of the course material. This includes your capacity to identify key vocabulary, define key terms, and apply course content to straightforward examples. Quizzes consist of multiple-choice, multi-select, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and sometimes short-answer questions.

Some details about quizzes:

• You may use your book on quizzes.
• Quizzes are taken in class.³
• Quizzes are taken independently, not in groups.
• Your lowest quiz grade is dropped.

Exams

Exams test your understanding of course lecture material and the text. It is necessary that you have developed both a basic familiarity with course content (e.g., capacity to identify key terms), the ability to distinguish various theories from each other, and the ability to draw conclusions from theories. In order to help you prepare for each exam, I will distribute an exam review sheet. The exam will consist of two main sections.

1. 60 points: Multiple-choice, T/F, fill-in-the-blank
2. 40 points: Essay

You may use the paperback version of your book, notes you write in the margins of your book, and any handwritten notes you have with you. You may not use typed notes.

Writing Assignments

While this course is not primarily focused on learning how to write, it includes some exercises designed to improve your ability to write clearly. In this course, you will complete the following writing skills assignments:

1. Quiz - Markdown Syntax Quiz
2. File Upload - Markdown: First File Upload
3. File Upload - Markdown: Sample Template
4. Quiz - How to cite
5. Quiz - How to quote
6. Minipaper - Citing and quoting
7. Quiz - How to clarify ideas
8. Minipaper - How to clarify
9. How to use metadiscourse
10. How to present arguments
11. How to improve your writing style
12. How to remove fluff from your writing
13. Minipaper - Presenting arguments

Some additional details:

• Many of the quizzes above require reading course content found here: How to Write Philosophy.
• All of the above assignments will be submitted via CANVAS.
• Be sure to check the number of attempts permitted as some assignments allow you to resubmit (only highest grade is recorded).
• I use several scripts to analyze your papers. Most of these are written by me. A small number of these scripts make use of an API that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate preliminary feedback that is either (1) used to help you diagnose issues with your paper so you can resubmit it or (2) I use to get a sense of potential issues with your paper (I review AI feedback).
• To safeguard your privacy, I use a script that removes your name from the paper before it is sent to the AI. Even with this precaution in place, you should avoid including any personally identifiable information in your paper, e.g., health information, financial information, etc.

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Part 2. Policies

Email Correspondence

Email me with questions you have! However, keep in mind best email practices when emailing. When emailing, include specifics, e.g., your name, the class you are in, the problem and page number of the problem, etc. I generally respond to course-related email within two business days.

Classroom Recording

No recording of classroom lectures is permitted without either (1) express written permission of the instructor or (2) as permitted by Student Disability Resources (SDR). See Academic Integrity, AD40 - Private Policy, AD53 - Expectation of Privacy, Title 18 - Invasion of privacy

Late Policy

If you cannot complete an assignment (quiz, exam, or paper), it is your responsibility to email me before class begins (the due date) and request (1) which assignment you would like an extension on and (2) a new deadline for that extension. If you do not, your work will be considered late and thus subject to a penalty of 10% for each day I do not hear from you. In rare cases, however, it is impossible to contact me before class begins, e.g., emergencies. In these cases, it will be necessary for you to produce documentation that clearly indicates that (i) you were unable to attend the exam and (ii) it would have been unreasonable (or impossible) for you to contact me to notify me of your absence.

See DQ Assignment for the late policy on DQs.

Grading Scale, Rounding, Curving

• A: 93-100
• A-: 90-92
• B+: 87-89
• B: 83-86
• B-: 80-82
• C+: 77-79
• C: 70-76
• D: 60-69
• F: 0-59

Grades are rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. A fractional part of 0.50 or greater rounds up; a fractional part below 0.50 rounds down. Rounding occurs after the calcuation of the regular course grade, any curve, and extra credit. See University Policy 47-00. Individual assignments are not curved. However, in the case that the mean final grade for eligible students is below 75%, a curve will be instated so that the mean course average is 75%.⁴

University Policies

Penn State University has several university policies concerning disability, academic misconduct, counseling and psychological services,and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Below you will find links to these statements and further resources. An electronic version of this syllabus is available in CANVAS.

1. Disability Statement
2. Academic Integrity G-9 Policy
3. Academic Integrity Resources
4. Counseling & Psychological Services
5. Report Bias
6. Equity at Penn State
7. Polices & Rules for Undergraduate Instruction and Curriculum
8. Penn State Red Folder

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Part 3. Calendar

TBA

Notes

1. Due dates for assignments are posted in CANVAS, sent electronically through CANVAS, and announced in class.
2. Portions of this syllabus are subject to revision. Any major changes will be announced in class.
3. This syllabus is available electronically and in the following formats upon request: .md, .pdf, .html, .odt, .docx., .rtf, .tex

Footnotes

1. “Write to learn” involves the use of “informal, writing early in the process to think and explore without regard to formal elements of writing”, while “learn to write” means that students will “learn to use writing standards such as unity, coherence, development, style, and mechanics that their discipline requires of formal documents.”

2. See Graham, Robert B. 1999. ``Unannounced Quizzes Raise Test Scores Selectively for Mid-Range Students.’’ Teaching of Psychology 26 (4): 271–73.

3. I used a mixed pop quiz system in that the quiz may be administered either at the beginning or end of class. See Lin, Tin-Chun. 2016. “Does the Timing of Unannounced Quizzes Influence Student Behaviour in Effort Investment and Learning Output?” Int. J. Education Economics and Development 7 (3/4): 214–33.

4. After all required course assignments have been graded, the instructor will calculate each student’s course percentage (excluding students who (1) have a grade below a 75% and (2) did not complete the last exam). If the mean course percentage is below 75%, the difference between 75% and that percentage will be added to each student’s course percentage.