Minds, Brains, and Computers

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the philosophical study of the mind, including its relationship to inquiry in cognitive science, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. The 20th century witnessed a sea change in the study of mind, with work in neuroscience and computation being central drivers. Developments in both philosophy and areas of natural and applied science, including artificial intelligence, prompted a re-evaluation of foundational questions in the study of mind. Should we abandon mind-body dualism and endorse some form of materialism about the mind? Is the mind simply identical with the brain? Can we explain, or explain away, the nature of consciousness? Is intentionality-the “about-ness” of thought-the defining characteristic of mind, and, if so, how is it possible? How is it that we can represent facts about the world, such that we are capable of forming beliefs, desires, and intentions? Although these questions had been entertained in some form or another for millennia, novel work on computers and cognition opened a new avenue for considering them: namely, the attempt to design a machine that thinks, an artificial mind. Our goal in this class will be to explore and assess these questions at the intersection of philosophy of mind, empirical study of the brain, and artificial intelligence. Major elements of this course include close and critical reading of challenging philosophical and scientific texts, reconstruction and evaluation of philosophical arguments, and independent reflection and reasoning on topics and positions in philosophy of mind.