Philosophy 7 is an introduction to the Philosophy of Mind.   All quarter we'll be thinking about a single profound and puzzling question: how does the mind emerge from the physical world?  In Unit 1: The Mind in Nature, we will examine the question of how and whether the mind can interact with the natural environment.  In Unit 2: The Mechanical Mind, we'll evaluate the hypothesis that the mind is a kind of computer--  a biological, information processing machine.  And in Unit 3: Consciousness we'll investigate the rich sense of "awareness" associated with subjective conscious experience, and ask whether consciousness can be understood within the limits of cognitive science.  Readings will be drawn from the fields of philosophy, computer science, and cognitive science, starting from Descartes up through contemporary debates.
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Announcements
  • Extra Office Hours this week
    Friday Oct 11, 10:30-12, Luvalle Cafe (outside)

  • Please visit the Policies page for details about the waitlist, PTEs, assignments, grading, attendance, etc.​
  • Quizzes must be completed before​ the start of class.​​
Warning! 
  • This class is not​ an easy A.  There are daily reading assignments, daily comprehension quizzes, and 4 writing assignments.  Lecture and section attendance is required.​​
Office hours
  • GG Office hours: Th 2-3, North Campus Student Center Courtyard (near ATMs). In case of rain, inside Student Center.
  • TA Office hours (and TA contact information) are on CCLE.

Syllabus

The syllabus is subject to revision. Please check back every week.

Unit 1: Mind in Nature

0 Soul, Mind, and Brain
Thursday Sept. 26
Read: ​Syllabus (this page) and Course Policies.
Recommended: ​The Pink Guide to Philosophy.
1.1 Mind vs Body
Tuesday Oct. 1
Read: "Floating man", Ibn Sina (1027)
Read:  "On the distinction of mind and body" ,  Descartes (1641)
Reading Guide
The short passage from Ibn Sina poses the question: if you came into existence without any perception or contact with the outside world, or without your body, what could you know?   His answer, roughly, is that you could still know that you had a "self" or "soul" (for our purposes, a "mind").  From this he concludes that the soul must be distinct from the body.  Even though the text is old, the argument Ibn Sina makes here still has force today.  Read it very carefully, and understand the argument.

The longer reading from Descartes is one of the most famous passages in Western Philosophy.  This text is very difficult.  Even though it is only 6 pages, leave several hours to read this, and read it completely at least twice.  You'll want to make sure you understand what Descartes is saying at every stage.

Descartes sets himself the task of trying to doubt everything that he thinks he knows.  The only beliefs left will be the absolutely certain truths.   His first move is to imagine that his entire waking life is actually an illusion creating by a deceiving demon (think of the Truman Show or the Matrix).   After doubting the existence of the external world, he turns his attention to his own mind.   Can you doubt the existence of your own mind?    After pondering this question he points out that at least he can be certain of this: the mind and the body are not the same thing.  He offers several different arguments for this conclusion, and we'll discuss these in class.  (Note: Descartes uses the terms "soul” and "mind” pretty much interchangeably.)

As you read, try to answer the following questions:
  • the original argument: Ibn Sina argues from a certain "thought experiment" to the conclusion that the soul is not the body.   What is his argument?
  • soul/mind:  what does Descartes think the essence of the soul is?  What properties distinguish it from the body?
  • body: what does Descartes think the essence of the body is?  What properties distinguish it from the soul?
  • "what am I?”:  Descartes asks this question repeatedly.  What answers does he consider?  What does he conclude? Would Ibn Sina agree?
  • soul ≠ body:  Descartes thinks the mind/soul is not the body.  But why?  He has at least three arguments-- one having to do with doubt, one having to do with the essence of soul vs body, and one having to do with divisibility.  What are these arguments?  Which is closest to Ibn Sina's?
1.2 Interactionist Dualism
Thursday Oct. 3
Required: First Survey on Philosophical Views
Read: "The Passions of the Soul" Descartes (1649) ---  sections 1-6, 16-20, 23-25, 27-37, 41 (as highlighted)
Reading Guide
In this selection, Descartes is explaining his overall view about how the soul, body, and brain interact.   

Terminology: for Descartes, a "passion" is merely a perception (like seeing, hearing, or tasting)--- nothing romantic.  And "animal spirits" were Descartes' best guess about what we now call the nervous system.  They were supposed to be a very thin liquid, traveling in the bloodstream, which communicate signals between the brain and the rest of the body--- they are entirely physical, nothing to do with "spirits" or spirituality. 
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As you read, focus on understanding this big picture, and don't worry about the fussy details.   For example, don't bother trying to figure out exactly how the heart, blood, or muscles work, according to Descartes.  On the other hand, do pay attention to Descartes' views about...
  • the soul --- what sort of thing is it?  what does it to do?  can it affect the body?  can it be affected by the body?
  • the interaction between soul and body --- given that the soul is non-physical, and the body is physical, how do they interact? as you'll see, Descartes thinks the brain is pretty important here, but how and why? what about, for example, the heart?
  • the machine view of the body --- Descartes repeatedly compares the body to a machine; why? what is this supposed to illustrate?  in what sense is the body mechanical?  what is the difference between a living and dead body?
  • the distinction between soul and body --- what reasons does Descartes have for attributing some abilities (e.g. thinking) to the soul and others (e.g. moving) to the body?  what justification does he have for dividing things up this way?  why not the other way around?
2.1 Mental Causation
Tuesday Oct. 8
Read: ​"Princess Elisabeth against Descartes", Kim (2011) --- pages 46-50.
Read: Correspondence between Princess Elisabeth and Descartes  (1643) --- pages 1-5.
Reading Guide
In these letters, Princess Elisabeth and Descartes debate the claims, made by Descartes, that (a) the soul is immaterial; (b) the soul and body causally interact. Elisabeth is skeptical and Descartes tries to answer her skepticism.  (The first reading is a short overview of the debate; the second reading is the actual correspondence.)   As you read the correspondence, consider...
  • the objection -- what is Elisabeth skeptical objection?  what part of Descartes theory does she find puzzling?  why?
  • the reply -- what is Descartes' (overall) reply to Elisabeth's question?  has he really given an answer?
  • the union of soul and body -- what is the role of this concept in the debate? does Descartes believe such a union exists?
  • extension -- in what context does this idea come up?  is matter extended?  what about the soul?
2.2 Free Will
Thursday Oct. 10
Read: "Free will and determinism",  Sider (2005)
Reading Guide
This article discusses the problem of free will: can people have free will even if some form of determinism is true?   The central theme of the article is three basic approaches to free will.  According to libertarianism, free will is incompatible with determinism, and can only be explained through interactionist dualism.  According to compatibilism, free will is compatible with both dualism and physicalism.  And according to hard determinism, there simply is no such thing as free will.
  • determinism -- what is the doctrine of determinism? 
  • free will -- what is meant by "free will"?   do acts of free will have causes ? can free will and determinism both be true?
  • randomness --- what is the role of randomness in this discussion?  what is the difference between a random decision a free one?
  •  views-- what are the various views here-- libertarianism, compatibilism, hard determinism-- what does each say?
  • dualism and physicalism -- which of the views are compatible with physicalism? dualism? interactionist dualism?
Writing Assignment 1: Princess Elisabeth vs Descartes
Due: Sunday Oct. 13, 11:59 PM
Word count tool. 
​Writing tips.
3.1 Causal Closure of Physics
Tuesday Oct. 15
Read: "Arguments Against Dualism", Papineau and Selina (2000) — pages 64-83.
Read:  Kim 110-114 or Smith&Jones 57-61
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.

    ​Note that "determinism" as defined by Sider is a more specific version of what we called "causal closure of physics" in class--- but the same basic issues arise for either idea.
3.2 NO CLASS (Prof G @ conference)
Thursday Oct. 17
4.1 Mind-Brain Connections
Tuesday Oct. 22
Read: "Mind & Brain: A Graphic Guide", Gellatly and Zarate (2018) — pages 21-46.
Listen: Interview with Patricia Churchland
Watch: "Brain Story: All in the Mind", BBC Documentary (2000):
  • Warning! This documentary includes some intense imagery, including footage of live brain surgery, patients with amputated limbs, and people with severe brain damage.   If you feel you don't want to watch the video, please get in touch with me and I'll find you an alternative assignment.
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​

Unit 2: The Mechanical Mind

4.2 The Cognitive Mind
Thursday Oct. 24
Read: Pinker 3-27 (?77-93)
Read: (Ant navigation)
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
Writing Assignment 2: Causal Closure and Interactionist Dualism
Due: Sunday Oct. 27, 11:59 PM
5.1 The Mind as Machine
​Tuesday Oct. 29
Read: Clark 1-15
Read: Hillis?
Read: ?McGlaughlin 135-141
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
5.2 The Problem of Meaning
Thursday Oct. 31
Read:  "Can computers think?" Searle (1983)
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
6.1 Emergence
Tuesday Nov. 5
Read: (Systems reply) Copeland 121-130
Read: TBA
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
6.2 Externalism
Thursday Nov. 7
Read: Carter 175-180
Read: "Searle and the Robot Reply", Anderson (2006)
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
7.1 Unconscious Cognition
Tuesday Nov. 12
Read: "Uncanny Sight in the Blind", de Gelder (2010)
Read: "Into the Blindspot", Banaji and Greenwald (2013)-- up to page 22
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​

Unit 3: Consciousness

7.2 What is Consciousness?
Thursday Nov. 14
Read: "Introducing Consciousness", Papineau and Selina (2001) -- pages 3-22
Read: "Facing up to the problem of consciousness", Chalmers (2010) -- Sections 1-3
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
Writing Assignment 3: The Problem of Meaning
Due: Sunday Nov. 17, 11:59 PM
8.1 The Explanatory Gap
Tuesday Nov. 19
Read: "What is it like to be a bat?", Nagel (1974) --- skip the last section, as marked
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
8.2 The Knowledge Argument
Thursday Nov. 21
Read: "Epiphenomenal qualia", Jackson (1982) -- one page excerpt.
Read: "The Knowledge Argument" and "Subjectivity", Fesser (2005)
Optional:  "Knowledge Argument", Alter (2014)
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
9.1 Naturalistic Dualism
Thursday Nov. 26
Read:  "Facing up to the problem of consciousness", Chalmers (2010) -- Sections 6 only
Read: "Epiphenomenalism", Revonsuo (2010)​
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
9.2 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)
Thursday Nov. 26
10.1 Science and Subjectivity
Thursday Dec. 3
Read: ?Chalmers W+S ?Kim Correlation ?Jackson guises
Read: "Jackson on Physical Information and Qualia", Horgan (1984) 
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
10.2 The Self
Thursday Dec. 5
Read: ?Dennett
Read: TBA
Reading Guide
Text.
  • text -- text.​
Writing Assignment 4: The Problem of Consciousness
Due: Thursday Dec. 12, 11:59 PM
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