SYLLABUS

 

Topic
Reading
Week 1
Introduction
01/19 W:
Introduction to the class
CC: Chs. 1-4 of Damasio’s Descartes’ Error.
View Clive Waring & Twitch & Shout videos
Week 2
Philosophy of Mind I - The Metaphysics of Mind
01/26 W:
The Ontological Problem: Dualism & Behaviorism
CC: Ryle, "Descartes' Myth"
M&Cs: pp. 7-25
Week 3
   
02/02 W:
Mind-Brain Identity Theory
M&Cg: Place, "Is Consciousness a Brain Process?"
CC: Smart, "Sensations &Brain Processes"
M&Cs: pp. 26-35
Week 4
   
02/09 W:
Functionalism
M&Cg: Putnam, “Nature of mental states”
M&Cg: Fodor, “Tacit Knowledge in Psych Explanation”
M&Cg: Lycan, “Continuity of Levels of Nature”
Week 5
   
02/16 W:
Multiple realization
CC: Fodor, “Special sciences”
CC: Bechtel & Mundale, “Multiple realizability revisited”
CC: Keeley, “Shocking lessons from Electric fish”
02/17 Th
Empathy & Consciousness Symposium
4:15-9:00, Mallot Commons (CMC)
Week 6
   
02/23 W:
How to create a Web-page
None
Week 7
Neuroscience
03/02 W:
Drugs, Brain Structure, Learning & Memory
CM: Chapters 1-3, 5 & 8
M&Cs: Ch. 7, pp. 123-155
Week 8
   
03/09 W:
The emotional & conscious brain
CM: Chapters 9 & 10
CC: Kramer, "Introduction," "Makeover", & "Sensitivity"
Week 9
   
03/16 W:
NO CLASS (Spring break)
 
Week 10
Philosophy of Mind II- Epistemology of Minds
03/23 W:
Eliminative Materialism & the Folk Psychology Debate
M&Cs: pp. 43-49
M&Cg: Churchland, “Eliminative Materialism & the propositional attitudes"
M&Cg: Stich, "Autonomous Psych & the Belief-Desire Thesis"
M&Cg: Horgan & Woodward, "Folk Psychology is Here to Stay"
Week 11
   
03/30W:
Prep for conf
M&Cs: Ch. 4
CC: Malcolm, "Knowledge of Other Minds"
03/31 Th
Empathy & Others Con
 
Week 12
   
04/06 W:
First-person authority
M&Cg: Davidson, "Knowing one's own mind"
M&Cg: Heil, "Privileged Access"
Week 13
Putting the Perspectives Together: Autism
04/13 W:
Autism: An introduction
CC: Frith, "The Background Facts" & "Biological Roots"
CC: Frith & Happ, “Theory of mind & self-consciousness: What is it like to be autistic?”
Week 14
   
04/20 W:
Autism: Science and philosophy
M&Cg: Gordon, "Folk psych. as simulation"
M&Cg: Davies, "The Mental Simulation Debate"
Week 15
   
04/27 W:
Autism from the Inside
Either book by Temple Grandin or the Barrons
Week 16
   
05/04 W:
Final wrap-up and discussion of student reports
None