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Pasnau, Robert

Professor

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Research

research overview

  • Robert Pasnau works across the whole history of philosophy, from the ancient to the modern era. His principal focus is on medieval philosophy, particularly focusing on mind, knowledge, and metaphysics.

keywords

  • The history of philosophy, theories of knowledge, metaphysics

Publications

selected publications

Teaching

courses taught

  • FYSM 1000 - First Year Seminar
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018
    Provide first year students with an immersive experience in an interdisciplinary topic that addresses current issues including social, technical and global topics. Taught by faculty from across campus, the course provides students with an opportunity to interact in small classes, have project based learning experiences and gain valuable communication skills. Seminar style classes focused on discussion and projects.
  • PHIL 1000 - Introduction to Philosophy
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2021
    Discusses fundamental questions concerning human existence and the nature of reality. Questions may include: Does God exist? Am I the same person I was when I was born? Will I survive the death of my body? Do I have free will? How do I know whether the world around me really exists? What is knowledge? What is truth? What is morality, and how do I know what�s right to do?
  • PHIL 1100 - Ethics
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2022
    Introduces students to moral philosophy by having them study and evaluate prominent moral theories and their application to a selection of real-world moral problems. Theories studied may include utilitarianism, rights theory, virtue ethics, social contract theory, divine command theory, cultural relativism, and natural law theory. Social problems covered may include abortion, world poverty, animal rights, reparations for slavery, gun rights, or similar such controversies.
  • PHIL 3000 - History of Ancient Philosophy
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
    Surveys developments in metaphysics, ethics, logic, and philosophy of mind from the Pre-Socratics through Hellenistic philosophy, focusing primarily on the arguments of the philosophers. Topics may include: Zeno�s paradoxes of time and motion; Democritean atomism; Plato on knowledge, reality, ethics, and politics; Aristotle on logic and natural philosophy; Epicurus on pleasure and friendship; Epicurean atomism; the Stoics on materialism, determinism, and vagueness; and the coherence and practicality of global skepticism. Recommended prerequisite: 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
  • PHIL 3010 - History of Modern Philosophy
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2022
    Introduces modern philosophy, focusing on the period from Descartes through Kant. In addition to careful analysis of philosophical arguments, attention is paid to the ways in which philosophers responded to and participated in major developments in the 17th and 18th century, such as the scientific revolution. Recommended prerequisite: 6 hours of philosophy coursework.
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Background

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