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THINKING ABOUT INFINITY\n\n\u201cThe definitive clarification of the nature of the infinite, instead of pertaining just to the sphere of specialized scientific interests, is needed for the dignity of the human intellect itself.\u201d \u2013David Hilbert\n\nSyllabus:\n\nW\t 5 Sept\t\tIntroduction: Dickinson\n\nM\t10 Sept\t\tBorges: \u201cLibrary of Babel"\n\n \u201cThe Aleph"\n\nLeonardo da Vinci (in class distribution)\n\nW\t12 Sept\t\tHilbert: \u201cOn the Infinite,\u201d (Latte) Borges, Early Greek Philosophers\n[EGP], Chapter 3\n\nM\t17 Sept\t\tNO CLASS (Rosh Hashanah)\nW\t19 Sept \tRussell: \u201cIntroduction to Mathematical Philosophy\u201d (Latte) EGP, 9-11\nTh\t20 Sept\t\tEGP, 9-11 (Brandeis Monday)\n\nM\t24 Sept \tAristotle (Latte), Poincar\xe9: \u201cOn the Nature of Mathematical\nReasoning\u201d (Latte)\nW\t26 Sept \tNO CLASS (Yom Kippur)\n\nM\t 1 Oct\t\tNO CLASS (Sukkot)\nW\t 3 Oct\t\tAristotle, Augustine, Confessions Books: 1-4\n\nM\t 8 Oct\t\tNO CLASS (Shmini Atzeret)\nT\t 9 Oct\t\tAugustine, Confessions, Book: 11\nW\t10 Oct\t\tShakespeare: Macbeth\n\nM\t15 Oct\t\tMacbeth, Tennyson: \u201cTithonus\u201d\nW\t17 Oct\t\tPascal: Pens\xe9es, nos. 47, 68, 113, 131, 147-66, 198-201, \t\t\t\t\t220, 271, 373, 418, 420, 427, 564, 597-99, 653, 682, 688, \t\t\t\t\t721-23, 919\n\nM\t22 Oct\t\tPascal\nW\t24 Oct\t\tTucker: \u201cPrisoner\u2019s Dilemma\u201d (Latte) \tFIRST PAPER DUE\n\nM\t29 Oct\t\tJoyce: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man\nW\t31 Oct\t\tPortrait\n\nM\t 5 Nov\t\tDescartes: Meditations\nW\t 7 Nov\t\tDescartes, Lem \u201cNon Serviam\u201d (Latte)\n\nM\t12 Nov\t\tWilliam Gibson: Neuromancer\nW\t14 Nov\t\tGibson\n\nM\t19 Nov\t\tKant on space and time\nW\t21 Nov\t\tNO CLASS (Thanksgiving)\nTh\t22 Nov\t\tNO CLASS\n\nM\t26 Nov\t\tKant\nW\t28 Nov\t\tShelley: Mt. Blanc\n\nM\t 3 Dec\t\tShelley\nW\t 5 Dec\t\tEGP 5-6, Smolin \u201cAtoms of Space and Time\u201d\n\nM\t10 Dec\t\tAaronson: \u201cWho Can Name the Bigger Number?\u201d\nW \t12 Dec\t\tReview of Cantor\t\t\tSECOND PAPER DUE\n\nThe Brain -- is wider than the Sky --\nFor -- put them side by side --\nThe one the other will contain\nWith ease -- and You -- beside\n\nThe Brain is deeper than the sea --\nFor -- hold them -- Blue to Blue --\nThe one the other will absorb --\nAs Sponges -- Buckets -- do --\n\nThe Brain is just the weight of God --\nFor -- Heft them -- Pound for Pound --\nAnd they will differ -- if they do --\nAs Syllable from Sound --\n\n--Emily Dickinson