Course syllabus

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 

Professor Fred Kroon, f.kroon@auckland.ac.nz 
Room 443, Arts 1 (Building 206), DDI: (09) 923 7609

Teacher:

Professor Alberto Voltolini
Professor Fred Kroon, f.kroon@auckland.ac.nz

Course delivery format:

2 hours of lectures

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

 Summary of Course Description:              

The course covers central issues in the philosophy of fiction, a fast-growing area in philosophy that borders on aesthetics, the philosophy of language and metaphysics, and is concerned with philosophical issues arising from the idea of a work of fiction. A subset of the following problems will be discussed in class.

1. What is a work of fiction? How should we understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction, and why is the difference important (if it is)? 
2. What account can we give of fictional truths like "In the Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes was a brilliant detective"? 
3. When we engage with fiction, we often do so at an emotional level: we feel deep pity for Anna Karenina, for example. But how can we possibly have emotions for what does not exist? And how can such emotions be at all rational?
4. "Holmes was a brilliant detective" does not seem genuinely true (since there is no Holmes), but "Holmes is a fictional detective", "Holmes is better known than most real detectives", and so on, do seem like genuine truths. But Holmes does not exist, so what account can we give of their truth? 
5. How, for that matter, should we understand the truth of "Holmes does not exist"? (The notorious problem of negative existentials.)
6. Are there really such things as fictional characters? If so, what are they like?
   
   

Course outcomes:

A student who successfully completes this course will have the opportunity to:

• engage in philosophical discussion about an important part of our cultural heritage
• understand and contribute to debates about non-standard types of fiction and non-fiction
• acquire skills in report writing, critical thinking, and academic presentation.
  
  

 Assessment Summary:

Weighting of assignments and due dates if available, eg:

100% essay           due week 13

Weekly Topics:

 TBA

Prescribed Texts:

None.  The course will be based largely around the entry on fictional entities and the forthcoming entry on fiction (both authored by the lecturers in the course) in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, as well as associated articles and books to be provided on Talis.

 Recommended Texts:

None

 
Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.