Mind, Matter, and Meaning

Catalog description

This course fulfills the Writing in the Major Requirement (WIM) for Philosophy. In this course we'll look at some central topics in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. Emphasis throughout will be placed on the development of analytical writing skills. Here are some of the questions that we might look at. Is consciousness explicable in wholly physical terms? What kinds of things are conscious (computers?, LLMs?, fundamental particles?)? What are you (a material object?, an immaterial soul?), and what kinds of changes can you undergo without ceasing to exist? Is the existence of free will compatible with the results of our best scientific theories (which purport to show that our world is governed by deterministic laws of nature)? What is the basis of our knowledge of the external world, the future, and unobserved parts of the universe? Our focus throughout will be on contemporary work. Prerequisite: at least one other philosophy course, not including SYMSYS 1 / PHIL 99.