Cognitive Science Department

Chair: John H. Long, Jr.;

Professors: Gwen J. Broude, Kenneth R. Livingston, John H. Long, Jr.;

Associate Professor: Janet K. Andrews, Joshua de Leeuw;

Assistant Professors: Stephen Flusberg.

We human beings take it for granted that we are possessed of minds. You know that you have a mind and you assume that other people do, too. But to what, exactly, are we referring when we talk about a mind? Is there more to your mind than brain activity? How are you able to experience music from sound waves, relish the taste of chocolate, have a conversation with friends, reach for your cup when you want a sip of coffee, and make decisions about your future? How similar is your mind to the minds of other people and other animals? Do you have to be a biological organism to have a mind, or can we build a machine with intelligence and consciousness? If so, how? These are the kinds of questions that cognitive scientists want to address.

Cognitive science is a broadly multidisciplinary field that has emerged at the intersection of a number of older disciplines, including philosophy, computer science, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, linguistics, biology, and mathematics. Cognitive science combines the theories, technologies, and methodologies of these disciplines in the service of a unified exploration of minds.

In 1982, Vassar College became the first institution in the world to grant an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science.

Programs

Major

• Cognitive Science Major

Courses

Cognitive Science: I. Introductory

Cognitive Science: II. Intermediate

Cognitive Science: III. Advanced