SYLLABUS

Philosophy 555, TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

An Advanced Introduction

Professor Karen Neander

Office: West Duke office out of action.
Class time: 4.40-7.10 PM Tuesdays
Class room: Crowell 108
Email address: kneander@duke.edu
COURSE CONTENT
This is an advanced level introduction to philosophy of mind that surveys several of the main
metaphysical theories of mind (such as physicalism, substance dualism, behaviorism, mind-brain
identity theory, functionalism, epiphenomenalism). Along the way we explore some central
topics to do with the relation of the mental to the physical, the nature of consciousness, mental
representation and mental causation.
ASSESSMENT
Participation: 40%
Weekly questions posted on class SAKAI site10% (to be posted before Tues 9 AM).
Preparedness/participation in class discussion10 %
Presentation 20%
Draft of written version to be sent to instructor by Mon 5PM.
2 students to present each week after working together on the presentation.
One teaches assigned (non-text) reading and other critiques reading.
Presentation: 30 mins (2 X 10 minute max presentations, 10 minutes class Q&A).
Term paper: 60% (aprox 5000 words)
Ungraded draft due: 11/25/14
Final versions due: 12/09/14
Students may choose their research own topic (subject to the approval of the
instructor) but suggested topics will also be provided. Approved topics are
philosophical and relate concern material covered in class.
Each student to see instructor twice to discuss essay topic.
TEXT
Jaegwon Kim, Philosophy of Mind, 3rd edition, Westview Press.
OTHER USEFUL TEXTS (listed in order of accessibility)
Elliot Sober, Core Issues in Philosophy (very introductory)
Tim Crane, The Mechanical Mind (lively and accessible)
Georges Rey, Philosophy of Mind (about same level of difficulty as Kim)
USEFUL RESOURCE
For a list of philosophy of mind papers, go to David Chalmers http://consc.net/mindpapers/

CLASS SCHEDULE
8/26

General introduction

PHYSICALISM, DUALISM & THE MARK OF THE MENTAL

9/2
Introduction, Kim Text
How we Know our own Minds, The Illusion of First-Person Knowledge of Intentionality, The
Behavioral and Brain Sciences (1993), Alison Gopnik, DLE
Defining Physicalism, Philosophy Compass, Alyssa Ney (2008) DLE
SUBSTANCE DUALISM
9/9
Mind as Immaterial Substance: Descartes Dualism, Kim Text
Against Materialism (2006) Alvin Plantinga (http://www.andrewmbailey.com/ap/)
BEHAVIORISM
9/16
Mind & Behavior: Behaviorism, Kim Text
Computing Machinery and Intelligence (1950), Alan Turing, DLE
MIND-BRAIN IDENTITY
9/23
Mind as the Brain: Psychoneural Identity Theory, Kim (Text)
Sensations and Brain Processes, (1959) Jack Smart DLE
The Measure of Man (Star Trek episode, Next Generation), Netflix etc.
THE COMPUTATIONAL THEORY OF MIND
9/30
Mind as Computing Machine: Machine Functionalism, Kim (Text)
Meaning in Mind, (1993) Georges Rey & Barry Loewer (SAKAI)
Minds, Brains and Programs, (1980) John Searle, DLE
FUNCTIONALISM
10/7
Mind as a Causal System: Causal-Theoretical Functionalism, Kim (Text)
Pseudo-Normal Vision: An Actual Case of Qualia Inversion? 1996 Martine Nida Rumelin DLE
Biological Functions, Routledge Encyclopedia (2012) Karen Neander, DLE
BREAK
MENTAL CAUSATION
10/21 Mental Causation, Kim Text
Meaning of Meaning (1975) Hilary Putnam, SAKAI
MENTAL CONTENT
10/28 Mental Content, Kim Text
The Puzzle of Representation & Explaining Mental Representation (2003) Tim Crane, SAKAI
CONSCIOUSNESS
11/4
What is Consciousness? Kim Text
Could Love be Like a Heatwave? (1986) Janet Levin, DLE
CONSCIOUSNESS AGAIN
11/11 Consciousness and the Mind-Body Problem, Kim Text
Epiphenomenal Qualia (1982) Frank Jackson, DLE
11/18

Overview

11/25

TBA

Kim Textdetails on first page of syllabus

DLEon-line access article available from Dukes library
SAKAIwill be posted on class SAKAI site.