Instructor: Hoover (Fall 2007)

• The Place of Mind, Ed. Brian Cooney  (Wadsworth)

• additional on-line or photocopied texts (on-line materials available through the "Daily Assignments" page at the course website, on-campus access only)

This class seeks to provoke understanding of and reflection upon current issues in the philosophy of mind.  Readings will be selected largely from recent works in the Anglo-American philosophical tradition with a few exceptions.   One of the main themes of this course will be the mind's relation to the body, in particular, the brain.  When we talk about the mind and its contents (i.e., ideas, memories, pain, desires, feelings, etc.) is this just another way of talking about physical states or events within the brain? Or are we talking about phenomena distinct from the physical phenomena of brain activity? We will begin the course by examining a number of philosophical theories regarding the relation of the mind and brain (usually referred to as the “mind-body problem”).  We will also address, in turn, two subsidiary issues of the mind-brain relation: 1) the artificial intelligence debate (whether human intelligence is able to be reproduced in machines); and 2) the qualia problem (whether there are aspects to subjective experiences that no physical information could adequately account for, for example the “smell” of a rose). 

In the latter part of the class we will discuss the nature of the continuity of the self (usually referred to as the issue of “personal identity”). What makes us the same person over a span of time? In virtue of what do we refer to ourselves and think of ourselves as an enduring thing that spans different interrupted periods of consciousness, since we all go to sleep or black out from time to time?  Is there a single self or an element of the self that is identical over time, or is the notion of an enduring self perhaps altogether illusory?  We will look at a number of philosophical theories regarding this issue. Concerns about the nature of the enduring self lead inevitably to the question of whether persons are the sorts of things that can survive death.  Accordingly, at the end of the course we will turn to this particular subsidiary concern, considering the implications of various views about the mind and self with regard to whether life after death is even theoretically possible.

Return to top

Each student will be expected to attend class regularly and to have prepared the reading for each class.  If there is a legitimate reason that you will not be able to attend class, please notify the instructor beforehand. Without such notice, absences will count against your class participation grade. There will be opportunity for students to participate in class discussions and from time to time there may also be in-class writing exercises that pertain to the readings and which will serve as a springboard for these discussions. This class also includes a web-based discussion room (see course website), where students can pose and respond to questions related to course materials.  On occasion the instructor may require students to post a question or a response to the electronic discussion group. A  class participation grade will be assigned on the basis of four elements: attendance, preparation, and quality of class participation (including on-line forums), and performance on in-class writing exercises.  This grade will be equal to one paper or exam grade (one-sixth of course grade).   

This class is designated as writing emphasis and will stress accordingly the development of writing skills. Two papers of four to five pages in length will be required (see syllabus for tentative due dates). The topics for these papers will be assigned at least one week prior to their due date. These papers may be rewritten and resubmitted after they have been evaluated by the instructor (and on occasion rewrites may be required). There will be no specific due dates for voluntary rewrites (although none will be accepted after the last class day) and there is no maximum number of times that a student may submit a rewritten paper. When submitting rewrites, please include the previously submitted versions (only significantly revised papers, please). The grade for rewritten papers will replace the previous grade if the new grade is higher.  The two paper grades will be weighted equally (each counts one-sixth of the course grade).

Each student will also be required to complete three examinations over the course of the semester.  Each exam will be weighted equally (one-sixth of course grade).

The final course grade is broken down as follows: 1/6th = class participation grade; 3/6ths = three exam grades; 2/6ths = two paper grades.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words or ideas without acknowledgement and, when intentional, is a form of academic dishonesty. The unacknowledged use of words or ideas from any published or unpublished sources, including Internet resources or other student papers, constitutes plagiarism.  Any ideas or information the student adopts from a source, whether or not directly quoted, must be acknowledged by specific reference in notes or the text. Any words or phrases that are taken from a source must be quoted and cited. Any paraphrase—the restatement of an idea in your own words—must be cited. Students who commit plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will be disciplined according to procedures outlined in the Coe Catalog.  

Return to top