Alma College
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COG180: Special Topics
email: hauser@alma.edu
Office:  SAC 347 Phone: 7219
INSTRUCTOR: Larry Hauser
Office Hrs: MW: 4:00-4:50 | F: 2:30-3:20
MWF 10:30-11:20 by appointment
Cognitive  Science

TEXTS
Papers on reserve the Alma Library or available online at http://members.aol.com/lshauser/virtoff.html

CLASS DESCRIPTION

This class considers the broad problem of other minds through the lens of contemporary concerns about artificial intelligence (AI).  Issues include the possibility or present reality of AI and the adequacy of the Turing test as a test thereof; the extent of nonhuman intelligence in nature and the nature of what we take to be evidence of this; the relationship between consciousness (subjective experience) and intelligence; and the problem of other human minds and of what to take for evidence thereof if minds (or mentation) are supposed to be private subjective experiences.  The question of the nature of minds or thought or intelligence will be considered alongside these issues of which things are (rightly considered to be) possessed thereof.  Various traditional and contemporary views on the nature of minds (or thought or intelligence) are canvassed.  These include biologism, identifying the mind with the life-principle or soul; Cartesian substance dualism, identifying the mind with (possibly) disembodied intelligences; behaviorism, identifying being intelligent with behaving intelligently; psychophysical identity theory, identifying minds with brains, or thoughts with neurophysiological processes; computationalism, identifying thought with computation; and contemporary property dualism identifying thought with subjective experiences or qualia which are emergent from (but not identifiable with) brain processes.

GRADES WILL BE BASED ON

ASSIGNMENT
DUE DATES & EXPLANATIONS
 VALUE
Homework or Quizzes
periodically
3/8 of course
Term Paper
as scheduled
3/8 of course
Class Participation
projects; attendance; in-class or online discussion
1/4 of course
COURSE RELATED WEB SITES
LH's Virtual Office:
http://members.aol.com/lshauser/virtoff.html
Alma Online Forums:
http://cicero.com.alma.edu/web
 AI and Other Minds
http://members.aol.com/lshauser/aiothers.html
 
APPROXIMATE COURSE CALENDAR
Class regularly meets 11:30-12:20 MW in SAC ___ (note exceptions below) 
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Overview:
Island of Lost Souls
Jan. 11
Island of Lost Souls (cont.)
Discussion
Jan. 13
Jan. 14
The Turing Test: "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" (Turing)
Jan. 18
Discussion AI
Jan. 20
Jan. 21
The Turing Test: "Look Who's Moving the Goal Posts Now" (Hauser)
Jan. 25
Discussion: The Turing Test
Jan. 27
Jan. 28
Aristotle's On the Soul & Nichomachean Ethics (selections)
Feb. 1
Discussion: Biologism & Beyond
Feb. 3
Feb. 4
Descartes' Meditation 2 & Discourse on Method 5 (selections).
Feb. 8
Discussion: Dualism & Other Minds
Feb. 10
Feb. 11
Descartes' Meditations 6 & 
Descartes et. al Objections and Replies (selections).
Feb. 15
Discussion: Dualism, Mind, and Matter
Feb. 17
Feb. 18
Gilbert Ryle: "Descartes Myth", The Concept of Mind, Ch. 1
Feb. 22
Discussion: Behaviorism
Feb. 24
Feb. 25
Spring
Break!
Feb. 29
Spring 
Break!
Mar. 2
Spring 
Break!
Readings 
to be announced
Mar. 7
Discussion: Identity Theory
Mar. 9
Mar. 10
Readings 
to be announced
Mar. 14
Discussion: Functionalism & Computationalism
Mar. 16
Mar. 17
Readings 
to be announced
Mar. 21
Discussion: Zombies (Consciousness Reconsidered)
Mar. 23
Mar. 25
Readings 
to be announced
 Mar. 28
Discussion: Interaction Reconsidered
Mar. 30
Mar. 31
Readings 
to be announced
 Apr. 4
Discussion: Other Minds Reconsidered
Apr. 6
Term Paper Due (1st Draft)
Discussion:
AI Reconsidered
Apr. 11
Discussion:
AI Reconsidered
Apr. 13
Apr. 14
Finals
Week
 Finals
Week
Finals
Week
Finals
Week
Rewrites Due
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY