Undergraduate Course: The Computational Mind (PHIL10134)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Philosophy |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Computational models dominate modern psychology. Over the past forty years, computational models have scored numerous and impressive successes in explaining mental phenomena. Today, the computational approach in psychology is regarded as our best hope of understanding the human mind. These models raise numerous foundational philosophical questions. The models also appear to have the potential to contribute to, and perhaps even answer, long-standing philosophical questions about the mind. This course explores the important philosophical issues raised by a computational approach to explaining the mind.
Representative topics covered by the course include:
* What is a computational theory of mind?
* If the mind is a computer, what kind is it?
* What does it mean for a brain to implement a computation?
* Is computation a real feature of the world, or a projection of our interests?
* Can consciousness be explained by computation?
* Are computations intrinsic to the brain or do they spill into the environment? |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: 25 |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2015 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 7,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
|
| No Exam Information |
|
| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 2, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)
|
Learn enabled: No |
Quota: 5 |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2015 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
|
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| To develop further the philosophical skills, and to extend as well as deepen the philosophical knowledge, acquired in previous philosophy courses. |
Assessment Information
1. Weekly participation (online web forum posts --- see Course Guide for details) (20%)
2. End-of-semester essay of 3,000 words (80%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark Sprevak
Tel:
Email: msprevak@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Susan Richards
Tel: (0131 6)51 3733
Email: sue.richards@ed.ac.uk |
|
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|
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