Philosophy of Mind

What is the mind? What are mental states, and what different kinds of mental states are there? What is consciousness and intentionality? How do these things relate to the physical world? To what extent can the mind be explained or illuminated by science? Can machines think? What is the self? This course is a systematic introduction to contemporary philosophy of mind, also highlighting connections to other subfields of theoretical philosophy, in particular to philosophy of language, philosophy of science, and metaphysics, as well as ideas and discoveries in neuroscience and cognitive sciences such as psychology and artificial intelligence.

According to the course curriculum, a candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome (defined as knowledge and skills):

Knowledge

The candidate has knowledge about

• the mind-body problem, and the different solutions to the problem (dualism, behaviourism, the identity theory, functionalism (the computational model of the mind included), eliminativism, panpsychism, etc.)
• specific aspects of the mind that have held a special interest for philosophers and cognitive scientists, such as: intentionality, perception, consciousness, emotions
• relevant connections between the themes mentioned above and problems in other subfields of theoretical philosophy, such as reduction and emergence, (semantic) externalism and internalism, necessity and possibility, personal identity, etc.

Skills

The candidate has the ability to

• present and argue for and against different positions in philosophy of mind, in an analytic fashion
• orient oneself in the literature within a particular field, and find complementary literature of relevance to a chosen topic and/or research question
• illuminate/answer the topic/research question in an independent manner through a written assignment (essay)

Seminar, supervision and self-study. The seminar may be held in English. The course has two alternative assessment forms (see 'further on evaluation') with different required activities that must be approved in order to sit the exam.

For assessment assignment/written examination: approved reading list that must be handed in to the Department.

For assessment assignment: approved reading list that must be handed in to the Department, 80 % attendance at seminar and approved oral presentation (15 minutes).