Other People's Minds

Catalog description

How do we know what others think, feel, or experience? And what does it even mean to "understand" another mind? This course explores the philosophical problem of other minds through a uniquely interdisciplinary lens, bringing together classic arguments, contemporary cognitive science, phenomenology of embodiment, and current debates in artificial intelligence. We will examine how we attribute mental states to others, how empathy and perception shape social understanding, how habits and biases influence interpretation, and whether advanced AI systems genuinely "understand" or merely simulate understanding. Along the way, students will learn to analyze arguments, connect philosophical texts with empirical research, and reflect critically on the nature of consciousness, agency, and interpersonal understanding