Courses: FIL105 Introduction to Philosophy of the Mind - Autumn 2021
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Bachelor
Language of Instruction
Norwegian or English
Teaching semester
Spring.
Place of Instruction
Objectives and Content
The course will provide students with an introduction to contemporary philosophy of mind. The philosophy of mind is concerned with the relations between the mental and psychological aspects of a person and the person's bodily characteristics. The subject has a history that goes back to classical Greek philosophy, but in a modern context particularly Descartes's dualism represents the classic challenge that different philosophical directions have tried to overcome. The course will present the most important modern equivalent of this dualism, and we will see that we still struggle with some of the basic problems from Descartes. The course will also discuss experience consciousness as a particularly challenge to the materialistic conceptions of consciousness.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:
After completing the course, the student should have
- overview of the most important directions within the philosophy of mind in the 20th century, such as behaviorism, the psychophysical identity theory, functionalism, characteristic dualism and eliminative materialism
- insight into the issues that are common challenges for these directions, such as the question of what intentionality is, the question of the experience of awareness relative to a person's material properties and processes, and how we can understand mental causation
- insight into issues that connects philosophy of mind to modern cognitive science, important here is the question whether Artificial Intelligence can exist - insight into important classical philosophers viewpoint of the relationship between body and soul, especially Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Kant's view
- insight to evaluate the effectiveness of the classical argument in the philosophy of mind out from their soundness and validity
Skills:
After completing the course, the student should be able to
- distinguish between strong and weak aspects of the various main positions in contemporary philosophy of mind in the 20th century
- communicate knowledge about these positions both in academic as well as more general contexts
- understand that solutions to problems in the philosophy of mind requires something more than empirical knowledge, at the same time as one realizes that innovations in psychology and neurophysiology may establish the basis for a crop rotations between philosophical concepts analysis and empirical research
Competence:
After completing the course, the student should be competent to
- ensue further studies in cognitive science
- keep pace with the contemporary philosophical debate about the problems in the philosophy of mind at a level of moderate difficulty
- provide insight into the problems to people without special background knowledge of the subject
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Approved first semester studies. A good proficiency in English is necessary since it ought to be assumed that much of the prescribed reading will be in English.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
FIL105 overlaps with FIL235.htmlFIL235 (Themes in Philosophy of Mind), FIL335.htmlFIL335 (Research Theme in Philosophy of Mind ) og ../Gamle/FIL226.htmlFIL226 (Introduction to Philosophy of Mind - 15 ECTS).
Access to the Course
The course is open to students admitted at the University of Bergen
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching is offered in the form of lectures.
The number of gatherings may be reduced if the number of students attending the course is less than 4. In that case, the students will be compensated with individual or group tutoring.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
An approval of compulsory requirements is valid for three semesters, including the semester in which the approval is given.
Students must submit answers to 7 questions. Submission deadline is set by the department. The replies must be approved to be able to take the exam.
Forms of Assessment
In the spring semester 2021, the form of assessment has been changed from school exam to 5 hour home exam, as a measure to prevent transmission of the corona virus.
Examination Support Material
Grading Scale
From A to F
Assessment Semester
Reading List
Course Evaluation
The teaching will be evaluated from time to time.
Programme Committee
Course Coordinator
Course Administrator
Department of Philosophy.
Contact Information
Department of Philosophy
Email: studierettleiar@fof.uib.nostudierettleiar@fof.uib.no