Phil 2151: Philosophy of Mind (Minds, Brains, and Computers)

University of Minnesota – Morris
Spring 2009
Professor Collier
M&W 5:30-7:10 (Imholte 101)

Course Description: What is the relationship between consciousness and the brain? Can computers think? Will folk psychology eventually be eliminated by neuroscience? These are some of the questions that we will ask in this course, which serves as an introduction to the philosophy of mind and cognitive science. The first part of the course will survey the various positions that have been put forth concerning the relationship between the mind and body, with particular emphasis on computational approaches to cognition and the problem of consciousness. The second part of the course is concerned with the philosophical controversies surrounding the topic of psychological explanation.

FIRST PAPER TOPICS

SECOND PAPER TOPICS

LINKS TO FURTHER READINGS

January 26: Substance Dualism

Kim: "Substance Dualism", pp. 29-40

January 28: Substance Dualism II

Kim: "Substance Dualism", pp. 40-52
Smullyan: "An Unfortunate Dualist"

February 2: Epiphenomenalism

Descartes: Selections from Discourse on Method (*e-reserve)
Huxley: "On the Hypothesis that Animals are Automata, and its History" (html) (pdf)

February 4: Logical Behaviorism

Hempel: "Logical Analysis of Psychology" (*)

February 9: Central State Materialism

Armstrong: "The Nature of Mind" (*)

February 11: NO CLASS

February 16: Identity Theory

Smart: "Sensations and Brain Processes" (*)

February 18: Artificial Intelligence

Turing: "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" (*)

February 23: NO CLASS

February 25: Machine Functionalism

Putnam: "The Nature of Mental States" (*)

March 2 : Challenges to Functionalism I

Block: "Troubles with Functionalism"

March 4: Challenges to Functionalism II

Searle: "Minds, Brains, and Programs" (*)

March 9: Review Session

Bring your thesis statements and questions

March 11: FIRST EXAM

March 16-18: SPRING BREAK

March 23: Knowledge Argument

Jackson: "Epiphenomenal Qualia"

March 25: Knowledge Argument II

Churchland: "Jackson's Knowledge Argument" from his 'Reduction, Qualia, and the Direct Introspection of Brain States', pp. 22-28.
Jackson: "What Mary Didn't Know"

March 30: Modal Argument

Kripke: “Selections from ‘Identity and Necessity’”
Hill: “Imaginability, Conceivability, and the Mind-Body Problem”

April 1: Explanatory Gap

Levine: "Materialism and Qualia, The Explanatory Gap"

April 6: Mysterianism

McGinn: "Can We Solve the Mind-Body Problem?"

April 8: Return of the Dualists I

Chalmers: "Consciousness and Its Place in Nature" (Parts 1-5 and 7, pp. 1-17 and 22-26)

April 13: Return of the Dualists II

Chalmers: "Consciousness and Its Place in Nature" (Parts 8 through 12. pp. 27-42)

April 15: Eliminative Materialism I

Churchland: "Eliminative Materialism and the Propositional Attitudes"

April 20: Eliminative Materialism II

Stich: "The Future of Folk Psychology" (e-reserve)

April 22: In Defense of Folk Psychology

Horgan and Woodward: "Folk Psychology is Here to Stay"

April 27: Instrumentalism I

Dennett: "True Believers, The Intentional Strategy and Why It Works" (e-reserve)

April 29: Instrumentalism II

Stich: "Dennett on Intentional Systems" (e-reserve)

May 4: Class Presentations

Knowledge Argument & Modal Argument

May 6: Class Presentations

Modal Argument (Cont'd) & Explanatory Gap Argument

FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, May 13, 6:00-8:00 (Imholte 101)