Philosophy of Mind (PHIL 310)

2020 Spring
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Philosophy(PHIL)
3
6
Elif Yavnık eyavnik@sabanciuniv.edu,
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English
Undergraduate
--
Interactive lecture,Seminar
Interactive,Communicative,Discussion based learning,Guided discovery
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CONTENT

This course introduces students to traditional and current topics in philosophy of mind and cognition. The first part of the course is devoted to the mind-body problem and classical responses to it like dualism, identity theory, and functionalism. The second part deals with two characteristic features of mind: intentionality and consciousness. Accounts to be discussed include representationalism and the computer model of mind, connectionism and neural networks, theories of mental content, theories of phenomenal consciousness.

OBJECTIVE

The first part offers an excellent platform for exercise in philosophical argumentation as there is a continuous argumentative dialectic from traditional texts to recent debates. Moreover, as concepts from other fields of philosophy (like metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of language) are relevant for the arguments we will study, the students will be introduced to concepts which they can understand easily in other courses, or apply in other contexts.
The second part will demonstrate the relevance of philosophy for related disciplines and vice versa. It may also appeal students of, e.g., computer science, neuroscience, or mechatronics, who are interested in foundational questions of their disciplines.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • Critical thinking and reading abilities, analytic writing and academic discussion skills

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES


1. Understand the world, their country, their society, as well as themselves and have awareness of ethical problems, social rights, values and responsibility to the self and to others.

2. Understand different disciplines from natural and social sciences to mathematics and art, and develop interdisciplinary approaches in thinking and practice.

3. Think critically, follow innovations and developments in science and technology, demonstrate personal and organizational entrepreneurship and engage in life-long learning in various subjects; have the ability to continue to educate him/herself.

4. Communicate effectively in Turkish and English by oral, written, graphical and technological means.

5. Take individual and team responsibility, function effectively and respectively as an individual and a member or a leader of a team; and have the skills to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams.


1. Develop knowledge of theories, concepts, and research methods in humanities and social sciences.

2. Assess how global, national and regional developments affect society.

3. Know how to access and evaluate data from various sources of information.

ASSESSMENT METHODS and CRITERIA

  Percentage (%)
Final 50
Assignment 40
Participation 10

RECOMENDED or REQUIRED READINGS

Textbook

Ian Ravenscroft, Philosophy of Mind: A Beginner?s Guide (Oxford, 2005)

Readings

see syllabus