Mind, Representation, and Reality

Catalog description

Mind, Representation, and Reality explores a deceptively simple question: how can the mind represent reality? Our thoughts seem to be about things—rocks, numbers, people, even imaginary creatures—but what makes this possible? In this course, we will explore how philosophers have tried to explain the mind’s representational abilities, from theories mental content (what do our thoughts mean, and how do they mean it?) to debates about the format of thought (do we think in words, images, or some other form?). Along the way, we will consider striking cases where the mind misrepresents, such as perceptual illusions, ambiguous figures, and linguistic puzzles. What do these cases reveal about the mechanisms of thought? By examining these puzzles, students will gain an introduction to some of the central debates in the philosophy of mind and learn how questions about representation interact with psychology, linguistics, and other cognitive sciences.