Philosophical Methodologies

Philosophy is done in different ways. In supporting their claims, different philosophers take very different approaches and cite different sources of information. This course is an introduction to metaphiloso ph y- the philosophical assessment of philosophy itself. It addresses the question of whether some ways of doing philosophy-Le., some philosophical methodologies-are more reliable than others in leading to discovery. This question is fundamental to the enterprise of philosophy: it calls for us to reflect whether philosophical questions can have correct answers, and whether philosophical reflection can yield knowledge of interesting truths. We will survey different methodologies pursued across multiple areas of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and ethics. Along the way, we will identify standards of success for philosophical arguments, and we will ask whether any ways of doing philosophy are particularly effective in facilitating successful philosophy.