What can philosophers tell us about the mind? Surely in the 21st century, we should leave the study of the mind to neurobiologists, cognitive psychologists, and other scientists, shouldn't we?

Whether you think the answer to this last question is yes or no, in this class we will see that the resolution is not straightforward. We will explore, in very general terms, some of the approaches (including scientific approaches) to explaining what the mind is, and investigate whether any are satisfactory. Is having a mind a matter of having:

• a non-physical soul?
• a complex neurobiological structure (a brain)?
• a certain kind of functional or computational organization?

Can any of these views account for conscious experience? Do they explain how we have thoughts that are about things? Do they allow that our mental states cause our actions?

The course is an advanced introduction, so while I will not be assuming any background in philosophy, we will be moving through some difficult material fairly quickly. You are expected to be comfortable reading texts, analyzing arguments, and writing academic papers. If you have concerns about your background, please come talk to me.

You must complete all required work to receive credit for the class.

The first three homework assignments will usually consist of a series of short answer questions, similar to the study questions you will find on the website (and to the questions that will be on the final exam).

policies

• Class participation will influence borderline grades. There's a big gap between a B (3.0) and a B+ (3.3). You'd be surprised how often grades wind up in the border region.

• Lateness is bad, very bad. Late work will be penalized one letter per calendar day. I typically will not excuse late work unless circumstances are so serious as to require the attention of the Dean of Students.

• No early final exams will be given, so please make your travel plans accordingly!

• It should go without saying that violation of the code of academic honesty is a serious matter. Any work that is submitted as your own but written in whole or in part by someone else is plagiarized. Just for the record: plagiarism results in an F for the course and is subject to further disciplinary action.
  

download the syllabus

A printable PDF version of the syllabus is available here. Note that this version dates from the beginning of term; all information on the syllabus is available (and is more current) on these web pages.