Introduction to Philosophy of Mind 2-IKV-114


The main course objective is to provide students with an introduction to some of main topics in philosophy of mind. Students acquire knowledge of representative philosophical conceptions, theories and questions concerning the nature of human mind, such as: What is mind? What is the nature of consciousness and self? Is a scientific theory of conscious experience possible? Can we explain the subjective character of our inner lives? Students will also be acquainted with a variety of methods (theoretical, empirical, experimental) and main arguments, types of argumentation on selected problems, such as: mind/body problem, nature of self, mental causation, intentionality, subjectivity, reductionism, free will. Lectures are combined with text seminars in order to improve students´capacity to analyse critically and comment on original texts as well as to report on and defend their own opinions.

Course information sheet >


News

  • Final paper due on the 13th May 2019


Course schedule

Type Day Time Room Lecturer
Lecture 2 / Seminar 1 Monday 9:50 - 12:05 M-1 prof. PhDr. Silvia Gáliková, PhD.

Syllabus

Date Topic
18.02. Philosophy of mind: history of problems, philosophy, science, medicine on the nature human mind.
P. Churchland: Matter and Consciousness. Ch. 2 pp. 7-22 here
25.02. Basic terminology, concepts: mind, consciousness, reason, mental states, subjectivity, mental causality, self etc.
G. Ryle, The Concept of  Mind, chapter I. “Descartes Myth”, pp 11-61. here
04.03. Taxonomy of approaches in the study on the nature of mind (dualism, identity theory, functionalism, naturalism).
GÁLIKOVÁ, S. (2013): An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind. Chapters 1-3.
11.03. Substance dualism, property dualism, criticism (Descartes, cartesianism, criticism).
R. Descartes, Meditations 1, 2 here
18.03. Identity theories (type, token), pro and contra arguments (Smart, Armstrong).
JJC Smart “Sensations and Brain Processes” here 
25.03. Behaviorism (Watson), functionalism (Putnam, Turing, Searle).
J. Watson: “Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It”. Psychological Review, 20,
158-177 Putnam “The nature of Mental States” here 
01.04. The concept and problem of consciousness, the hard problem (D. Chalmers), thought experiments.
D. Chalmers (1995): „Facing up to the problem of consciousness“. 
In: Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2(3), 200-219. 
08.04. Models and theories of conscious experience (Dennett, Searle, Baars).
Dennett “True Believers” here 
Searle “Minds, brains and programs” here
15.04. On the nature of the Self, the problem of personal identity (Locke, Hume).
John Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 2, Chapter 27, “Identity and diversity”, 
pp 112-121.  here 
David Hume, Treatise of Human Nature, Book 1, Part 4, Chapter 6, “Personal Identity”, pp. 132-141. 
here
22.04. No class - Easter holidays
29.04. Impairments of mind and consciousness; novel methods and technologies in the study of states of consciousness (Weiskrantz, Churchland).
L. Weiskrantz: “Some contributions of neuropsychology of vision and memory to the problem of 
consciousness”. In Anthony J. Marcel & E. Bisiach (eds.), Consciousness in Contemporary Science. 
Oxford University Press (1988).
06.05. The problem of free will, volitional action (Libet, Metzinger).
Libet, B. (1999): Do We Have Free Will? In: Journal of Consciousness Studies , 6, No. 8–9, 47–57.   
13.05. Final discussion, debate on perspectives in explaining and understanding human mind.

References

  • BLOCK, N., FLANAGAN, O., GUZELDERE, G. (1996): The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical and Scientific Debates. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
  • GÁLIKOVÁ, S. (2013): An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind. Trnava, FFTU.
  • GÁLIKOVÁ, S. (2013): Philosophy of Consciousness. Towarzystwo Słowaków w Polsce.
  • MASLIN, K., T. (2007): An Introduction to the Philosophy of mind. Cambridge, Polity.
  • METZINGER, T.(2010): The Ego Tunnel . New York, Basic Books.
  • NAGEL, T. (1974): What it is Like to be a Bat? In: Philosophical Review, 83, 435–450.
  • CHALMERS, D. (1996): The Conscious Mind. New York, Oxford University Press.
  • DENNETT, D. (1991): Consciousness explained. Little, Brown.
  • CHURCHLAND, P. M. (1995): The Engine of Reason, the Seat of the Soul. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.
  • G. RYLE (1949): The Concept of Mind. Routledge. London, New York.
  • SEARLE, J. (1992): The Rediscovery of Mind. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.

Course grading

  • Active participation at lectures/seminars, introductory presentations of seminar texts,

analysis of texts (20 points)

  • Final exam: written final paper (80 points) on selected topic (see syllabus) –

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