PHIL408. PHILOSOPHY OF MIND II
Lecturer: Majid D. Beni
Email: mbeni@metu.edu.tr
Course description:
The course introduces and explores the main issues about selfhood and phenomenal states, including the following ones; what is the self? Are the selves substances? How they retain their identity over time, what is the bearing of modern scientific findings in cognitive psychology and neuroscience on our conception of the self? What is consciousness, and how it is related to the self? How to account for the social aspects of the self? The course considers some of the significant philosophical replies to those questions, at times by building upon state-of-the-art scientific theories.
Upon successful completion of the course, the students will acquire the requisite skills to understand some of the main discussions of the field and articulate arguments for and against different positions and examine them critically.
The course outcome:
To develop the skill to read and write about topics presented in the course and similar topics. To understand and critically discuss the basic metaphysical and epistemological views on the nature of the self, its phenomenal aspects, and its social aspects. To be able to see the relation between epistemological and metaphysical views on the one hand and some fundamental theories of the cognitive sciences and computational neuroscience on the other. To be able to reconstruct and critically evaluate the main replies to the questions about the nature of the mind and its relationship with the world.
Sources:
The students need to read texts ahead of each session so as to be prepared for well-informed participation. All of the assigned texts could be replaced a week ahead of the session.
For background reading (and some of the main texts):
Gallagher, S. 2011. The Oxford Handbook of the Self. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chalmers, D. 1996. The Conscious Mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dennett, D. (1991). Consciousness Explained. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company
Coursework and distribution of grades:
Reading reports: Each student must submit (via email to mbeni@metu.edu.tr) two reading reports. The reports could be based on any of the core texts that will be studied during the semester, but the students must submit their report before Monday of the week during which the respective text will be discussed in the classroom. The reading reports are supposed to be around 300 words, identifying the main thesis and extracting the basic structure of the argument of the author. Reading reports amount to 15% of the grade. Participation: participations mainly consist of oral discussions during sessions. They are supposed to be well-informed and thoughtful and are highly valued in this course. They include 15% of the grade, group presentations included. For group presentations, students could form groups of up to 5 people. Intermediate exams: there is one intermediate exam, closed book, during the seventh week of the semester. It constitutes 30% of the student’s grade. Final exam: Students are required to choose one topic amongst three suggested ones and write one short essay between 2000-3000 words about the topic. 40% of the grade is for the final exam.
Attendance policy:
Attendance is important. When unable to attend for an important reason such as illness or family emergency, the student may discuss the situation with me as soon as possible (preferably through email, before the session). Medical certificates and so on need to be sent to me through student affairs or registrar office.
When using material that is not their own, students must make sure that they cite the author or appropriately refer to them. The students are free to choose any of the standard citation styles when needed, but they need to remain consistent with the style that they choose.
Civility: The course encourages a critical approach in discussions and participation. At the same time, students are expected to treat the instructors and each other as well as the authors and opinions that will be discussed in the course cordially.
Auxiliary aids
Students who experience difficulties due to their disabilities and wish to obtain academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids must contact ODTU Disability Support Office and/or course instructor and the advisor of students with disabilities at academic departments (for the list: ) as soon as possible. For detailed information, please visit the website of Disability Support Office:
Changes to the program: The syllabus is provisional and it may be (and indeed will be) revised at any stage during the semester. It is the students’ responsibility to keep updated about the syllabus.
Sessions:
Week 1: General introduction,
Week 2: Substantivalism in Aristotle and Descartes
Week 3: Rejecting Substantivalism: Hume and Kant
Week 4: Personal Identity
Week 5: Embodied Self
Week 6: Embodied cognition and extended cognition
Week 7: Midterm exam
Week 8: Intentionality: Intro
Week 9: The hard problem of consciousness
Week 10: Panpsychism
Week 11: Illusionism
Week 12: A model-theoretic approach to the self
Week 13: Intentionality again
TBA
Week 14: group presentations