Mind, Brains, and Machines

Catalog description

A philosophical examination of the place of mind in nature and in the world. Questions may include the following. What distinguishes mental phenomena from everything else? What does it mean to be conscious? What is an emotion? How do thoughts have meaning? Can we ever really know the mind of another person? Could a computer ever really think? Do animals have minds? The aim is to clarify what one is asking with such questions, in order to begin to formulate answers. Prerequisite: One prior course in philosophy. Liberal Arts Core Designation: Depth in Faith and Reason (DF&R).