Program Overview

Metaphysics (PHIL*6210)

Course Details

This course examines the development of our metaphysical and scientific understanding of space, time and motion from the ancient Greeks to the present day. We begin with Plato and Euclid. We then focus on the classical debate about the reality of space in the work of Newton, Leibniz, Berkeley and Mach. Finally, we study the impact of the conventionalist and relativistic theories of Poincarť and Einstein. Space and time are of interest not only as one of the central topics in metaphysics, but also as an exemplar of how research in metaphysics is done.

Course Information

• Course code: PHIL*6210
• Course term: Winter 2015
• Cross-listed with: PHIL*4370

Related Academic Units

• School of Theatre, English, and Creative Writing
• School of Fine Art and Music
• School of Languages and Literatures
• Department of History
• Department of Philosophy
• Interdisciplinary Programs

Research and Academic Centres

• Centre for Scottish Studies
• Grounded and Engaged Theory Lab (GET)
• Interdisciplinary Design Lab
• The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation
• The Humanities Interdisciplinary Collaboration Lab (THINC)
• The School of Fine Art & Music Print Study Collection