Postgraduate Course: Theories of Mind (Philosophy MSc) (PHIL11021)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | What is a mind? What are the essential characteristics distinguishing mental from non-mental systems? Two key features traditionally offered in response to this question are (1) representational content: mental states can be about external objects and states of affairs, they can represent and bear content or meaning; (2) conscious experience: only minds are consciously aware and have subjective, qualitative experiences roughly, there is something it is like to be a mind.
Shared with UG course Theories of Mind (Philosophy Hons) PHIL10024.
For courses co-taught with undergraduate students and with no remaining undergraduate spaces left, a maximum of 8 MSc students can join the course. Priority will be given to MSc students who wish to take the course for credit on a first come first served basis after matriculation. |
| Course description |
A central aim of the course will be to examine the extent to which these two features can be captured or explained by computational and/or physicalist methods, and to explore some of the conceptual issues basic to Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence as theoretical approaches to the mind.
The coursework involves close and critical analysis of various historical and current views on central issues in theories of mind.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 8 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 21,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
173 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment will be by a 2500 word essay.
Assignment deadline: Thursday 17th December 2015 by 12 noon.
Return deadline: Tuesday 19th January 2016 |
| Feedback |
Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay by week 6 deadline on Turnitin via Learn. The essay cannot be draft of summative essay but it can be on the same topic.
Formative essay deadline: Thursday 29th October 2015 by 12 noon
Return deadline: Friday 20th November 2015 |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- read, critically assess and discuss some of the most important texts in theories of mind fields.
- develop their skills in individual research through the writing of essays, and to develop their critical, analytic and communication skills through informal discussion and oral presentations in tutorial groups.
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Reading List
Syllabus
Topic 1: Turing and the Computational Paradigm
** Turing, A., 'Computing Machinery and Intelligence' [H]
* Newell, A. and H. Simon, 'Computer Science as Empirical Enquiry' [H]
Putnam, H., 'The Nature of Mental States' [C, L]
Skinner, B.F., About Behaviorism (Excerpt) [L]
Topic 2: Searle and the Chinese Room
** Searle, J., 'Minds, Brains and Programs' [H]
------ 'Can Computers Think?' [L, C]
* Rey, G., 'Searle's Misunderstanding of Functionalism and Strong AI'
Brentano, 'The Distinction Between Mental and Physical Phenomena' [C]
Topic 3: Dennett and Intentional Systems
** Dennett, D., 'True Believers: The Intentional Strategy and Why it Works' [H, L]
------ 'Real Patterns' [L]
** Stich, S., 'Dennett on Intentional Systems' [L]
Gordon, R., 'Folk Psychology as Simulation' [L]
Topic 4: Fodor and the Language of Thought
** Fodor, J., 'Why There Still has to be a Language of Thought' [L]
------- 'A Theory of Content'
Carruthers, P. 'Which Language Do We Think With?' [L]
** Churchland, P.M., 'Eliminative Materialism and the Propositional Attitudes' [L]
Topic 5: Putnam and Semantic Externalism
Frege, G., 'On Sense and Reference'
** Putnam, H., 'Meaning and Reference'
* ------ 'Brains in a Vat'
* Burge, T., 'Individualism and the Mental' (Excerpt) [C]
Topic 6: The Boundaries of the Mind
** Stich, S. 'Autonomous Psychology and the Belief-Desire Thesis' [L]
** Clark, A. and D. Chalmers, 'The Extended Mind' [C, L]
Clark, A, Supersizing the Mind, chapter 5.
Topic 7: Physicalism and the Problem of Consciousness
** Nagel, T., 'What is it Like to Be a Bat?'
** Jackson, F., 'Epiphenomenal Qualia' [L]
* Lewis, D. 'What Experience Teaches' [L]
Topic 8: The Problem Continued
** Kripke, S., 'Naming and Necessity' (Excerpt) [C]
** Levine, J., 'Materialism and Qualia: The Explanatory Gap' [C]
Chalmers, D. 'Consciousness and its Place in Nature' [C, L]
McGinn, C., 'Can We Solve the Mind-Body Problem?' [C]
Topic 9: More on Consciousness
** Van Gullick, R., 'Understanding the Phenomenal Mind' [L]
* Block, N., 'Concepts of Consciousness' [C]
Dretske, F., 'Conscious Experience' [C]
Dennet, D., 'Quining Qualia' [C]
Topic 10: Non-classical Paradigms
** Fodor, J. and Z. Pylyshyn 'Connectionism and Cognitive Architecture' [H]
* Bechtel, W., 'The Case for Connectionism' [L]
Brooks, R., 'Intelligence without Representation' [H]
* Van Gelder, T., 'Dynamics and Cognition' [H]
* Clark, A., 'Whatever Next?' [BBS]
Suggested references:
Lycan, W. and J. Prinz, Mind and Cognition, Third Edition, Blackwell Chalmers, D., Philosophy of Mind, OUP.
Haugeland, J., Mind Design II, MIT Press.
Above H:=Haugeland, L:=Lycan, C:= Chalmers
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Additional Information
| Course URL |
Please see Learn page |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Taught by Dr Paul Schweizer |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Paul Schweizer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2704
Email: paul@inf.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: Lynsey.Buchanan@ed.ac.uk |
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