JOHN
WIGGLESWORTH
PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Either your mind is completely physical or not completely physical. It must be one or the other. But either answer is incredible. This course explores arguments and theories on both sides. We then take a more detailed look at the nature of consciousness and the nature of intentionality, of how mental states can be “about” things in the world.
Course Text:
Philosophy of Mind, edited by David Chalmers
Assessment:
One mid term paper and one final paper.
Course Schedule:
Weeks 1-2: Dualism and Behaviorism
- Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy (excerpt)
- Putnam "Brains and Behavior"
Weeks 3-4: Identity Theory
- Place "Is Consciousness a Brain Process?"
- Smart "Sensations and Brain Processes"
- Kripke Naming and Necessity (excerpt)
Weeks 5-6: Functionalism
- Putnam "The Nature of Mental States"
- Block "Troubles with Functionalism"
- Lewis "Mad Pain and Martian Pain"
Weeks 7-8: Consciousness
- Block "Concepts of Consciousness"
- Nagel "What is it Like to Be a Bat?"
- Dennett "Quining Qualia"
Weeks 9-10: Intentionality
- Chisholm "Intentional Inexistence"
- Quine "Quantifiers and Propositional Attitudes"
Weeks 11-12: Internalism and Externalism
- Putnam "The Meaning of ‘Meaning' "
- Burge "Individualism and the Mental"