The readings will often be quite short, and often be fun. Very occasionally they'll be dry and obscure. Strangely, you will enjoy reading all of them; but maybe, with the latter articles, not quite so much the first time through. Moral: reread and digest. Take a look at Jim Pryor 's "how to read a philosophy paper."

Our primary text is Douglas Hofstadter & Daniel Dennett, eds. (2001). The Mind's I, available at Huntley bookstore. Some readings you'll find on the web or will come in a separate packet.

week 1

You. Me. The course. our goals.

week 7

Miedaner, "The Soul of Martha, a Beast" (MI, ch. 7)

Miedaner, "The Soul of the Mark III Beast" (MI, ch. 8)

Nagel, "What is it Like to Be a Bat?" (MI, ch. 24)

week 2

Professor Debbie Burke's convocation address, "Passions of the Mind"

week 8

Screening: Memento

Locke, "On Identity and Diversity" (web)

week 3

Descartes, Meditations I, II

Borges, "Borges and I" (MI, ch. 1)

Harding, "On Having No Head" (MI, ch. 2)

week 9

Dennett, "Where am I?" (MI, ch. 13)

Sanford, "Where was I?" (MI, ch. 14)

week 4

Screening: Blade Runner

Descartes, Meditations VI

week 10

Lem, "The Princess Ineffabelle" (MI, ch. 6)

Parfit, "What We Believe Ourselves to Be" (TBD)

Williams, "The Self and the Future"

week 5

Turing, "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" (MI, ch. 4)

Hofstadter, "The Turing Test: A Coffeehouse Conversation" (MI, ch. 5)

» Chat with a.l.i.c.e. and Eugene Goostman.

week 11

Screening: Twelve Monkeys

"Death Speaks" (TBD)

Dick, "Minority Report" (TBD)

week 6

Hofstadter, "A Conversation with Einstein's Brain" (MI, ch. 26)

Searle, "Minds, Brains and Programs" (MI, ch. 22

weeks 12-14

Lem, "The Seventh Sally" (MI, ch. 18)

Lem, "Non servium" (MI, ch.  19)

Smullyan, "Is God a Taoist?" (MI, ch.  20)

Dennett, "Don't Feed the Bugbears" (TBD)

Ayer, "Freedom and Determinism" (TBD)

Nagel, "Moral Luck" (TBD)

student presentations