RbJ's Undergraduate Philosophy Essays

Why would anyone want to read my undergraduate philosophy essays? Can't imagine.

The essays are presented in three phases:

The classical phase covers the last essays I did before I decided that a two thousand word essay didn't have enough room in it. At this time the philosophy department and I were at one.
The incomplete phase consists entirely of incomplete essays obtained by starting with some grand scheme and then running out of time shortly after getting started on it. In this period there is much seeking after an acceptable notion of philosophy and philosophical method (which brought me into conflict with philosophy department) and a good dose of youthful arrogance.
The final fill-in covers the period after I stopped seriously working on philosophy, having redeployed my enthusiasm to mathematics. These are complete short essays intended as minimal compliance with the requirements of the philosophy department.

I've mentioned the titles of the essays I intend to transcribe ahead of their availability. They are in roughly chronological order.

**The Classical Phase**
Date	Title	Topic
Late 1974	Ontology	The criteria of existence, what exists, and the consequences of ontological commitment. This is one's not bad, so far as it goes, but it doesn't reach the issues I would now regard as important.
Late 1974	The Status of Logical Principles	Ostensibly about the linguistic-conventionalist position, but mainly a discussion about propositions. No much here that I would endorse today.

The Incomplete Phase
Date Title Topic

Early 1975 Determinism A fragment handed in with the (following) mind-brain identity essay. In formulating hypotheses about a universe in which the mind-brain identity hypothesis is most compelling I was drawn into a discussion of determinism, and started this separate essay on that topic.

Early 1975 Mind-brain identity The intent here was to consider substantive conditions under which the mind-brain identity hypothesis would be most plausible and then duck the verbal question of whether the hypothesis would in those circumstances be 'true'. I never got as far as ducking.

Mid 1975 Is Morality Necessary? This is really an attempt to get at a discussion of anarchy as a moral position, but it doesn't make it. My most embarrassing essay, with impressively temperate comments by David McNaughton.

Mid 1975 Logic, Mathematics and Philosophy The idea here was to use Post production systems both to provide a more precise account of logical systems such as Russell's theory of types and to effect a reduction to a more primitive level than that accomplished by Russell. A pain to type in and a pain to read, so it probably won't happen. (also an idea which may be entertaining but isn't the best way to improve foundations)

Mid 1975 Liberty An attempt to do political philosophy without being totally swallowed up by language. Mainly methodological discussion. Received with a narrow minded intolerance which completed my disillusion with philosophy at Keele.

**The Incomplete Phase**
Date	Title	Topic
Early 1975	Determinism	A fragment handed in with the (following) mind-brain identity essay. In formulating hypotheses about a universe in which the mind-brain identity hypothesis is most compelling I was drawn into a discussion of determinism, and started this separate essay on that topic.
Early 1975	Mind-brain identity	The intent here was to consider substantive conditions under which the mind-brain identity hypothesis would be most plausible and then duck the verbal question of whether the hypothesis would in those circumstances be 'true'. I never got as far as ducking.
Mid 1975	Is Morality Necessary?	This is really an attempt to get at a discussion of anarchy as a moral position, but it doesn't make it. My most embarrassing essay, with impressively temperate comments by David McNaughton.
Mid 1975	Logic, Mathematics and Philosophy	The idea here was to use Post production systems both to provide a more precise account of logical systems such as Russell's theory of types and to effect a reduction to a more primitive level than that accomplished by Russell. A pain to type in and a pain to read, so it probably won't happen. (also an idea which may be entertaining but isn't the best way to improve foundations)
Mid 1975	Liberty	An attempt to do political philosophy without being totally swallowed up by language. Mainly methodological discussion. Received with a narrow minded intolerance which completed my disillusion with philosophy at Keele.

The Final Fill-in
Date Title Topic

Late 1975 Wittgenstein's private language argument An unsympathetic commentary on some paragraphs from the Philosophical Investigations on the possibility of "private languages".

Early 1976 What, if any, is the point of a philosophical appeal to ordinary language? This essay is more about how to avoid appeal to ordinary language when studying substantive rather than verbal philosophical problems.

**The Final Fill-in**
Date	Title	Topic
Late 1975	Wittgenstein's private language argument	An unsympathetic commentary on some paragraphs from the Philosophical Investigations on the possibility of "private languages".
Early 1976	What, if any, is the point of a philosophical appeal to ordinary language?	This essay is more about how to avoid appeal to ordinary language when studying substantive rather than verbal philosophical problems.

created 1996/6/22 modified 1997/12/31