PHIL 224 - Philosophy of Mind

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

What is a mind, and what is it to have one? This course is an introduction to contemporary philosophy of mind, and we also read some contemporary work in the cognitive sciences. We begin by asking how thoughts and feelings fit into the physical world. Is a science of consciousness even possible? Could an AI have feelings? Could a Martian experience pain? Do bees have thoughts? Is science better equipped to explain our thoughts than our feelings, or should we explain feelings in the same way we explain thoughts? Toward the end of the semester, we ask what our understanding of the social world reveals about the nature of our minds and our experiences of the world. Kate Pendoley.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS