Course Information
Course title
 Independent Study: Time Travel 
Semester
 109-1 
Designated for
 COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS  GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY  
Instructor
 Nihel Jhou 
Curriculum Number
 Phl7882 
Curriculum Identity Number
 124 M6110 
Class
  
Credits
 1.0 
Full/Half
Yr.
 Half 
Required/
Elective
 Elective 
Time
 Monday 6(13:20~14:10) 
Remarks
 Restriction: MA students and beyond AND Restriction: within this department (including students taking minor and dual degree program)
The upper limit of the number of students: 3. 
Ceiba Web Server
 http://ceiba.ntu.edu.tw/1091Phl7882_ 
Course introduction video
 
Table of Core Capabilities and Curriculum Planning
 Table of Core Capabilities and Curriculum Planning
Course Syllabus
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Course Description

Travel back in time fascinates us all. Its appearance everywhere in movies and fictions is almost a platitude, yet people keep drawn into them. But what is the nature of time travel? Is it really possible to travel into the past? In the light of the grandfather paradox, how should we understand time travel? Is it possible to change the past? If not? What’s the point of backward time travel? In this course, we will explore various contemporary philosophical reflections with regard to the above issues. 

Course Objective
 The goal of this course is to analyze and critically evaluate views on time travel, and to develop and articulate your own views. To achieve this goal, the course relies heavily on dialogues, presentations, and writing. 
Course Requirement
 Each student is expected to read the assignments before class, attend every class, and participate in in-class discussions. 
Student Workload (expected study time outside of class per week)
  
Office Hours
  
Designated reading
 Selected readings from various sources, which will be made available online. 
References
 Selected readings from various sources, which will be made available online. 
Grading
  
No.
Item
%
Explanations for the conditions
1. 
 Midterm Paper 
50% 
  
2. 
 Final paper 
50% 
  
 
Progress
Week
Date
Topic
Week 1
 9/14  Wasserman, Paradoxes of Time Travel, Ch 4.1-2. 
Week 2
 9/21  Wasserman, Paradoxes of Time Travel, Ch 4.3-4. 
Week 3
 9/28  Wasserman, Paradoxes of Time Travel, Ch 5.1-4. 
Week 4
 10/05  Wasserman, Paradoxes of Time Travel, Ch 5.5-6. 
Week 5
 10/12  Wasserman, Paradoxes of Time Travel, Ch 6.1-3. 
Week 6
 10/19  Wasserman, Paradoxes of Time Travel, Ch 6.4-5. 
Week 7
 10/26  Arntzenius, ‘Time Travel and Modern Physics.’  
Week 8
 11/02  Arntzenius, ‘Time Travel and Modern Physics.’  
Week 9
 11/09  Earman, Wuthrich, and Manchak, ‘Time Machine.’ 
Week 10
 11/16  Earman, Wuthrich, and Manchak, ‘Time Machine.’ 
Week 11
 11/23  Arntzenius, ‘Time Travel Double Your Fun.’ 
Week 12
 11/30  Arntzenius, ‘Time Travel Double Your Fun.’ 
Week 13
 12/07  Miller, ‘Time travel and the open future.’ 
Week 14
 12/14  Miller, ‘Time travel and the open future.’ 
Week 15
 12/21  Smith, ‘Bananas Enough for Time Travel.’ 
Week 16
 12/28  Smith, ‘Bananas Enough for Time Travel.’ 
Week 17
 1/04  Final Paper Outline 
Week 18
 1/11  Final Paper Presentation