PHILOSOPHY
OF
MIND
Fall
2012
Instructor:
Daniel
Lim
Schedule:
Fridays,
14:00-‐15:30
Location:
Room
2106
Office
Hours:
Fridays,
12:45-‐13:45
(409
Renwen)
Email:
daniel.f.lim@gmail.com
Website:
http://pstruc.org/english/teaching.asp
I.
COURSE
SYNOPSIS
This
course
surveys
the
major
issues
and
positions
that
have
come
to
define
the
philosophy
of
mind
in
the
contemporary
Western
tradition.
In
trying
to
answer
the
broad
question:
“what
is
‘mind’?”
we
will
be
considering
answers
to
a
number
of
more
specific
questions
including:
how
does
mind
relate
to
the
brain?
Can
minds
exist
in
non-‐human
bodies?
What
is
it
like
to
have
experience?
How
do
minds
affect
the
physical
world?
How
do
minds
latch
onto
or
refer
to
the
world?
Can
computers
become
minds?
II.
READINGS
AND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Block,
Ned.
“Troubles
With
Functionalism.”
Chalmers,
David.
The
Conscious
Mind.
Churchland,
Paul.
“Eliminative
Materialism
and
the
Propositional
Attitudes.”
Clark,
Andy.
Mindware:
An
Introduction
to
the
Philosophy
of
Cognitive
Science.
Crane,
Tim.
The
Mechanical
Mind.
Descartes,
René.
Meditations
on
First
Philosophy.
Davidson,
Donald.
“Actions,
Reasons,
and
Causes.”
Davidson,
Donald.
“Mental
Events.”
Hempel,
Carl.
“The
Logical
Analysis
of
Psychology.”
Jackson,
Frank.
“Epiphenomenal
Qualia.”
Jackson,
Frank.
From
Metaphysics
to
Ethics.
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind.
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Physicalism
or
Something
Near
Enough.
Kripke,
Saul.
Naming
and
Necessity.
Lewis,
David.
“Mad
Pain
and
Martian
Pain.”
Lycan,
William.
Mind
and
Cognition:
An
Anthology.
Nagel,
Thomas.
“What
is
it
Like
to
be
a
Bat?”
Putnam,
Hilary.
“Psychological
Predicates”
Ramachandran,
V.S.
A
Brief
Tour
of
Human
Consciousness.
Ryle,
Gilbert.
The
Concept
of
Mind.
Searle,
John.
Freedom
and
Neurobiology.
Searle,
John.
Minds,
Brains,
and
Science.
Smart,
J.J.C.
“Sensations
and
Brain
Processes.”
Turing,
Alan.
“Computing
Machinery
and
Intelligence.”
III.
GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS
Most
of
the
lectures
will
be
devoted
to
a
detailed
discussion
of
an
assigned
article
or
book
chapter.
Everyone
is
expected
to
study
the
relevant
reading
assigned
for
that
week
and
come
prepared
to
discuss
and
raise
questions
about
it.
Active
participation
will
be
crucial
to
your
understanding
of
the
issues
in
the
course
and
for
success
in
the
course.
There
are
no
make-‐up
exams,
except
in
cases
when
the
student,
due
to
reasons
outside
his
/
her
control,
are
able
to
provide
appropriate
documentation
such
as
an
official
medical
certificate.
Plagiarism
is
a
serious
academic
offense
and
has
serious
consequences
for
students’
grades
and
future
careers.
Plagiarism
or
academic
dishonesty
of
any
kind
is
not
tolerated
and
will
result
in
disciplinary
action.
Instances
of
academic
dishonesty
include
submitting
a
paper
downloaded
from
the
internet
or
any
work
of
which
you
are
not
the
author,
copying
material
from
any
source
without
a
citation,
and
using
someone
else’s
language,
research
or
ideas
without
acknowledgment.
If
you
are
unclear
as
to
whether
or
not
something
constitutes
plagiarism,
or
if
you
require
assistance
properly
citing
the
work
of
others
in
your
coursework,
please
do
not
hesitate
to
contact
me.
IV.
ASSIGNMENTS
AND
GRADING
SCALE
10%
-‐
Attendance
and
Participation
25%
-‐
Four
Reading
/
Reflection
Summaries
25%
-‐
Midterm
Exam
40%
-‐
Final
Exam
Attendance
and
Participation
Attendance
in
this
course
is
mandatory.
Students
are
required
to
sign
an
attendance
sheet
at
the
beginning
of
each
class.
Students
may
miss
one
class
without
penalty,
but
should
take
care
to
acquire
notes
from
other
classmates
for
any
information
or
assignments
missed.
Absences
in
excess
of
this
one
excused
absence
will
adversely
affect
the
attendance
portion
of
the
student’s
grade.
All
assigned
readings
should
be
completed
prior
to
class
and
students
may
be
called
upon
to
describe,
explain,
or
interpret
course
material
at
any
time.
Exams
Two
exams
will
be
given
in
this
course.
The
exams
will
be
comprised
of
multiple
choice,
true
/
false,
and
short
essay
questions.
Reading
Summaries
/
Reflections
Students
will
turn
in
2-‐3
page
summaries
of
a
portion
of
the
assigned
reading.
There
will
be
4
summaries.
The
aim
is
for
students
to
have
an
opportunity
to
reflect
on
the
readings
and
class
discussions.
C.O.D.E.
as
Rubric:
1. Conclusion
–
state
the
conclusion
of
the
reading
in
1-‐2
sentences.
2. Outline
–
give
a
single
paragraph
summary
of
the
author’s
strategy.
3. Details
–
provide
reasons
and
for
each
of
the
parts
of
the
author’s
strategy.
4. Evaluation
–
give
a
brief
critique
of
the
reading.
Summary
1
(dualism):
Descartes,
René.
Meditations
on
First
Philosophy,
meditations
1,
2.
Summary
2
(identity):
Smart,
J.J.C.
“Sensations
and
Brain
Processes.”
Philosophical
Review.
Summary
3
(causation):
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Physicalism
of
Something
Near
Enough,
chapter
2.
Summary
4
(AI):
Searle,
John.
Minds,
Brains,
and
Science,
chapter
2.
V.
TENTATIVE
COURSE
OUTLINE
Week
1:
Introduction
Sept.
14
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
1
Week
2:
Descartes
–
Mind
/
Body
Dualism
Sept.
21
*
Descartes,
René.
Meditations
on
First
Philosophy,
meditations
1,
2,
6
Ryle,
Gilbert.
“Descartes’
Myth”
Week
3:
Eliminative
Materialism
Sept.
28
*
Churchland,
Paul.
“Eliminative
Materialism
and
the
Propositional
Attitudes.”
Dennett,
Daniel.
Consciousness
Explained,
ch.
5
No
Lecture:
No
Class
-‐
Holiday
Oct.
5
Week
4:
Behaviorism
Oct.
12
Hempel,
Carl.
“The
Logical
Analysis
of
Psychology.”
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
2
Putnam,
Hilary.
“Brains
and
Behavior.”
**
Reading
Summary
1
Week
5:
Identity
–
Token
/
Type
Theories
Oct.
19
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
3
Lewis,
David.
“Mad
Pain
and
Martian
Pain.”
Smart,
J.J.C.
“Sensations
and
Brain
Processes.”
Week
6:
Functionalism
Oct.
26
Block,
Ned.
“Troubles
With
Functionalism.”
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
5
Lewis,
David.
“Psychophysical
and
Theoretical
Identifications.”
Putnam,
Hilary.
“Psychological
Predicates.”
Week
7:
Physicalism
Nov.
2
*
Jackson,
Frank.
From
Metaphysics
to
Ethics
(chapter
1).
Horgan,
Terence.
“From
Supervenience
to
Superdupervenience.”
**
Reading
Summary
2
Week
8:
Mental
Causation
Nov.
9
Davidson,
Donald.
1970.
“Mental
Events.”
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
6
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Physicalism
or
Something
Near
Enough,
ch.
2
Week
9:
Kripke
–
Proper
Names
and
Definite
Descriptions
Nov.
16
Kripke,
Saul.
Naming
and
Necessity,
lecture
1
**
Midterm
Exam
Week
10:
Kripke
–
A
Posteriori
Identities
and
Identity
Theories
Nov.
23
Kripke,
Saul.
Naming
and
Necessity,
lectures
2,
3
Week
11:
Consciousness
and
Qualia
Nov.
30
Churchland,
Paul.
Matter
and
Consciousness
Jackson,
Frank.
“Epiphenomenal
Qualia.”
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
7
Nagel,
Thomas.
“What
is
it
Like
to
be
a
Bat?”
Week
12:
Intentionality
-‐
Representation
Dec.
7
Crane,
Tim.
The
Mechanical
Mind,
ch.
1
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
8
**
Reading
Summary
3
Week
13:
Intentionality
-‐
Reference
Dec.
14
Crane,
Time.
The
Mechanical
Mind,
ch.
5
Week
14:
Cognitive
Science
–
Machine
Intelligence
Dec.
21
Clark,
Andy.
Mindware,
ch.
1
*
Kim,
Jaegwon.
Philosophy
of
Mind,
ch.
4
Week
15:
Cognitive
Science
-‐
Critics
Dec.
28
*
Searle,
John.
Minds,
Brains,
and
Programs,
ch.
2
Turing,
Alan.
“Computing
Machinery
and
Intelligence.”
Week
16:
Free
Will
and
Action
Jan.
4
*
Searle,
John.
Minds,
Brains,
and
Programs,
ch.
6
Davidson,
Donald.
“Actions,
Reasons,
and
Causes.”
**
Reading
Summary
4
Week
17:
Wrapping
Up
Jan.
11
No
Reading
Week
18:
**
Final
Exam
Jan.
18