PHI 345 Philosophy of Mind

HNR 304 Androids, Zombies and Brains

Fall 2011 | TR 9:25-10:40 | HR 107

http://www.rudygarns.com/class/mind/

With all the advances in artificial intelligence, cognitive sciences, and neurobiology in the last century, what has happened to the mind? Why is having a brain important to having a mind? And what does it mean to have a mind? Androids don't have biological brains. Could they still have thoughts and feelings? Zombies have brains but they aren't conscious. Could they still have thoughts? What's the relationship between consciousness and thinking (intentionality)? In addition to androids, zombies, and humans, the cast will include cyborgs, primates, chess-playing computers, doppelgangers, and miraculous swamp creatures. We will use film, literature, science, and philosophy to explore these questions and others.

The class will be run as a seminar. Students are expected to prepare for class and participate in the discussion, contributing questions, ideas and insights form their own study of the material.

Office: LA 232 | Office Hours: MWF 10:00-10:45 and by appt.
Phone: (859) 572-5528 | email: garns@nku.edu

• Dennett, D. C. (2005). Sweet Dreams: Philosophical Obstacles to a Science of Consciousness. The MIT Press.

• Several articles will be available online.

Successful students will (1) become reasonably familiar (at least at the level of literacy required to understand journals such as Scientific American) with the current thinking in the sciences and philosophy on the relevant course topics; (2) develop an informed imagination about the future of mentality and consciousness, anticipating important issues, and maintaining a realistic perspective on the nature and future of humans; and (3) demonstrate an ability to discuss intelligently and comfortably general issues pertaining to the relationships between minds, brains and machines, and the significance of these issues for our future.

• Attendance, preparation and participation (20%)
• At least eight blog entries on assigned questions/topics (30%)
• Midterm Scholarly Essay (20%)
• Final Scholarly Essay/Creative Project and Presentation (30%)

Attendance: Chronic absenteeism will not be tolerated. To receive an “A” in the course you are expected to attend at least 90% of the classes. To receive a “B” in the course you are expected to attend at least 80% of the classes; a “C” requires you attend at least 70% of the classes, and to pass the course you must attend at least 60% of the time. Attendance is not, of course, a sufficient condition for earning a particular grade. Everyone should arrive at class on time.

Participation and Preparation: You are required to attend class, participate responsibly, and prepare adequately for each class. You should read all the assignments before class, bringing the article or book to class for reference. My evidence for adequate participation in class is your behavior. Those who regularly ask questions and take part in class discussions are clearly actively involved in the class; and those who regularly attend class, listen attentively to lectures and discussions, and complete assignments on time are also involved in the class (though to a lesser degree). Failure to attend class or to complete assignments, sleeping in class, talking to neighbors and other disruptive behavior will count against you.

Regular Blog Entries: You are required to submit weekly blog discussion entries (roughly 100+ words each) on the class blog. I will post in advance topics or questions that you are to address. I require at least eight. The expectations are outlines here.

You can use the blog to write about anything that interests you regarding the class material. Discuss some topic we talked about in class. Attempt to summarize the main points of an issue or position. Ask a question about something you didn't understand. Defend you own views. Comment on someone else's entry. All this work counts toward your participation in the course.

One Midterm Scholarly Essay: This essay should be on a course-related topic, 3-5 pages in length, incorporate 3+ scholarly non-internet sources, and include a bibliography. You should post the essay on the class wiki with links to outside information or other posts. This essay may be revised throughout the semester; grades will be assigned on the due date and at the end of semester. Essays will be graded on relevance, scholarly credibility, written presentation, and demonstrated knowledge of the material.

One Final Scholarly Essay/Creative Project/Presentation: You will be given 20 minutes (includes class discussion) to present to the class the results of a scholarly/creative project. This project may be a scholarly (e.g., 6-8 page) paper or a creative work, and should be relevant to the course material. Creative works must include a brief artist's statement (approx. 3 pages) that explains the relevance of the work to the class topics and includes references to the professional literature. I'll ask for proposals and progress reports during the semester. Essays and artist's statements will be graded on relevance, scholarly credibility, written presentation, and demonstrated knowledge of the material.

The final grade for the course should be understood as my assessment of your overall level of achievement in the class based on all the evidence available to me. The midterm essay, blog posts, the final essay and presentation, and class participation and preparation will constitute the bulk of that evidence.

All assigned work is required work, unless I indicate otherwise. This is not to say that all assigned work is graded work or work that will contribute toward the final grade. I understand the particular letter grades in terms of the descriptions given in the recent university catalog. A grade of “C” “represents average achievement, the minimum expected of a college student.” Better or worse work is possible and will be reflected in the grade. Please ask me if you have questions about your standing in the class at any point in the semester.

I reserve the right to alter the conditions stated in this syllabus at any time during the semester should such alterations better facilitate meeting the goals. I will, in such a case, provide notice in class. I may on occasion add or delete reading assignments. It is the student's responsibility to be in class and get this information.