Philosophy of Mind

What is a mind and how does it work? This course confronts the nature of the mind from philosophical and psychological perspectives. We will first consider the ontology of the mental, confronting questions such as: What is the relationship between the mind and the brain? What is consciousness, and how does it fit into nature? How do our thoughts represent the external world? We will then move onto considering how minds work. How much of our knowledge is innate, and how much do we learn from experience? Does our language constrain our thoughts? Can non-linguistic animals think? How do the different sensory modalities interact with each other? Readings will include some historical texts, but largely contemporary work. Prereqs: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors and minors in Philosophy & PNP.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM

Philosophy of Mind

PHILOSOPHY 315

Section 01