Philosophy of Mind

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PHL347: Philosophy of Mind: Syllabus: Spring 2009

PHL347
The Philosophy of Mind
INSTRUCTOR: Larry Hauser
email: hauser@alma.edu
Office: SAC 229: Phone: 7209
Office Hours: 3-4 Mon. | 9-10 Tue. | 12-1 Mon. & Tue.
or by appointment
LH's Virtual Office:
http://www.wutsamada.com/aol/lshauser/virtoff.html

Required Text: Consciousness, An Introduction, by Susan Blackmore
Additional Readings:
- Week 1: "Zombies, Blade Runner, and the Mind-Body Problem" (online)
- Week 2: "Look Who's Moving the Goal-Posts Now" (online)

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DESCRIPTION: To wonder, for instance, whether computers really have mental qualities such as their seeming acts of sensing, inferring, and deciding things ordinarily would indicate, is to wonder if they're conscious. So many say. Yet many (including some of the same ones) acknowledge there to be such things as "unconscious mental states." So, what is thought, anyway? And how is it related to consciousness? How are both related to brains? And what, pray tell, is consciousness? What is it? Who has it? How do we know? How do I even know about you? This course considers a wide range of work (much recent, some ancient) in philosophy, psychology, computer science, and other disciplines bearing on such questions. The course culminates in a colloquium series where students present their papers.

Grading & Assignments

ASSIGNMENT	DUE DATE	VALUE
Participation	ongoing: online forums & classroom attendance	1/4 of course
Chapter Presentation	Week 3: e-copy or hard-copy due at time of presentation	1/4 of course
Term Paper: Abstract	Week 3: abstract (approx. 150 words) due on Friday	1/16 of course
Term Paper: First Draft	Week 4: hard-copy due at time of presentation/defense: approx. 1500 words	1/16 of course
Paper: Final Draft	Week 4: Thursday: approximately 2500 words: submit electronically	3/8 of course

Class Colloquium
to be held May 18-19, 2009

Class regularly meets M-Tu 10-12:00 & 1-3:00 in Dow L4 Course Calendar First Class Meeting: Sunday April 26 1-3:30 p.m.
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Zombies, Blade Runner, and the Mind-Body Problem ------------------------- Section 1: The problem	Section 2: The World -------------------- Section 3: The Self	Online Discussion: Week 1 Forums on Moodle	Online Discussion: Week 1 Forums on Moodle	May 1
Look Who's Moving the Goal-posts Now ---------------------- Section 4: Evolution	Section 5: Artificial Consciousness --------------------- Section 6: The Brain	Online Discussion: Week 2 Forums on Moodle	Online Discussion Week 2 Forums on Moodle	May 8
Section 7: Borderlands student presentations --------------------- Section 8: Altered States of Consciousness student presentations	Section 9: First-person Approaches student presentations -------------------- Section 0: Previous Things Reconsidered student presentations	Online Discussion: Week 3 Forums on Moodle	Online Discussion: Week 3 Forums on Moodle	May 15 abstracts due: submit online
Colloquium I topic TBA ------------------- Colloquium II topic TBA	Colloquium III Topic TBA ------------------- Colloquium IV Topic TBA	Online Discussion Week 4 Forums on Moodle	Rewrites Due submit electronically	May 22 skool is out!!

Offsite Resources
Duke U. Philosophy of Mind Resources | Chatbots

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