Philosophy of Mind (PHIL*3180)
Code and section: PHIL*3180*01
Term: Fall 2019
Instructor: Andrew Bailey
Details
This course will cover some of the more central issues and positions in contemporary philosophy of mind. In lectures and class discussions we will deal with the following topics:
The ontology of the mind and its relation with the brain. Are mental states such as beliefs to be identified with states of the soul, chunks of brain-matter, with a certain pattern of brain processing, or what?
The metaphysics of phenomenal consciousness experience. How can a grey soup of chemicals and electrically active cells produce sensations of pain, colour experience, the emotion of infatuation, or vivid memories of last summer’s holiday in Marrakesh?
The nature of mental content. How can a brain state be about the ‘outside’ world? What is the structure of thought—is it, for example, structured just like a language, or more like a sequence of images, or what? What kind of access do we have to the contents of our own thoughts?