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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Philosophy

Postgraduate Course: The Social Mind (Online) (PHIL11242)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course is aimed at offering a selection of cutting-edge topics in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Possible topics include: perception, social cognition, sensorimotor accounts of visual consciousness, and the role of language in embodied cognition.

Please note auditing is not allowed on this course. Students must only take for credit.
Course description Language and thought
Week 1 - Introduction: the representational mind (Synchronous seminar)
Week 2 - Can animals think? (Asynchronous forum seminar)
Week 3 - The nativist/empiricist debate (Synchronous seminar)

Understanding other minds
Week 4 - Theory-theory (Asynchronous forum seminar)
Week 5 - Simulation theory (Synchronous seminar)
Week 6 - Mirror neurons (Asynchronous forum seminar)
Week 7 - A two systems account (Synchronous seminar)

Applications
Week 8 - Evolutionary psychology (Asynchronous forum seminar)
Week 9 - How does culture affect the mind (Synchronous seminar)
Week 10 - Altruism in non-human animals (Asynchronous forum seminar)
Week 11 - Review (Synchronous seminar)

This may be subject to change.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
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 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Students will be assessed by a summative essay (100%). How the participation component will be assessed will be made clear to the students at the start of the course.
Feedback Students have the opportunity to submit a formative essay. The essay cannot be draft of the summative essay but it can be on the same topic.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. grasp fundamental issues in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science.
  2. critically analyse and engage with literature by key philosophers in this field.
  3. understand how empirical work can support philosophical arguments, and be able to use empirical data in their essays and arguments.
  4. present arguments clearly and concisely both within a classroom and in a summative essay.
  5. gain transferable skills in research, analysis and argumentation
Reading List
Available through Talis aspire
http://resourcelists.ed.ac.uk/index.html
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Students can develop their ability for independent learning through online resources.
Keywordsphilosophy of mind,cognitive science
Contacts
Course organiserDr Suilin Lavelle
Tel: (0131 6)50 3665
Email: J.S.Lavelle@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Olivia Coltman
Tel:
Email: ocoltman@ed.ac.uk
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