Dr. David Mark Kovacs

This class provides an introduction to the philosophy of mind. What is the relation between the mind and the body? How can mental phenomena bring about changes in the physical world? Could a robot think? What makes a thought a thought about something? Does our thinking take place entirely in the head, or do objects in the external world directly participate in it? We will survey these and similar questions, mostly relying on important contemporary works in the area. We will also consider how, if at all, some of these questions constrain the range of answers that could be given to the others. Topics to be covered include: dualism and materialism in the philosophy of mind, mental causation, artificial intelligence, intentionality, and the internalism-externalism debate about mental content.

 Pre-requisites: none (having taken any other class in analytic philosophy, e.g. Introduction to the Philosophy of Language, Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology, or Introduction to Philosophy of Science, would help; consult me if you have no background in analytic philosophy)

Assessment: a take-home final exam

Grade components: 100% exam