Fall 2001 - Phil 5

Course Information

Details about Phil 5 can be found at the course web page.

Graduate Student Instructor

Name: Russell O’Connor
Email: contact me
Office: 745 Evans Hall
Office Hours: Tu 12:30-1:30 in 301 Moses, or by appointment.

Locations

Monday 9-10: 347 Le Conte
Thursday 1-2: 287 Dwinelle
Thursday 2-3: 262 Dwinelle

Assignments

Assignment 1

Describe Zeno’s paradox of the arrow. What is its aim? What is the argument? What are the assumptions that could be questioned?

[Maximum 1 page, 12 point, double-spaced; any additional material will be ignored. Please hand in the assignment in your section during the week Sep 17-21.]

Assignment 2

Describe the bucket experiment from Newton’s Principia. What is Newton trying to argue for or against?

[Maximum 1 page, 12 point, double-spaced; any additional material will be ignored. Please hand in the assignment in your section during the week Sep 24-28.]

Assignment 3

Without undue technicalities, and using the example of Galileo’s ship, explain what a symmetry is. Why is this particular symmetry problematic for Newton’s concept of space?

[Maximum 1 page, 12 point, double-spaced; any additional material will be ignored. Please hand in the assignment in your section during the week Oct 1-5.]


Russell O’Connor: contact me