Proseminar: Friday, 14-16; Neue Aula, Hörsaal 10
Vorlesung with which this is associated: Wednesday, 16-18; Neue Aula, Hörsaal 2 (taught by Prof. Hong Yu Wong)
This course will provide an introduction to the philosophy of cognitive science. We will look at philosophical issues raised by psychology, neuroscience and the cognitive sciences. Topics covered include: the nature of intelligence, the architecture of the mind/brain, the computational underpinnings of mentality, and challenges to free will from neuroscience.
It is possible to take the Proseminar without taking the Vorlesung (or vice versa), but you are strongly advised to take both.
You are required to register for the class on ILIAS. All communications to students will be through ILIAS.
Assessment:
Attendance is required for all students taking the class for credit, and participation is encouraged. You may miss no more than 2 sessions. You will have to sign an attendance sheet from 26th October onwards.
Recommended Textbooks and Anthologies:
Andy Clark Mindware, 2nd ed.
Tim Crane The Mechanical Mind, 2nd ed.
John Haugeland Mind Design II
SESSIONS AND THEMES [* = required reading]
***subject to changes***
1. Oct 19: Introduction and Overview
Clark, Mindware, introduction
2. Oct 26: Mind Design
*Haugeland, “What is Mind Design?”
3. Nov 2: Classical Computationalism
*Crane, Mechanical Mind, chapter 3
Clark, Mindware, chapters 1-2
**Nov 9: No class**
4. Nov 16: The Turing Test and the Chinese Room
*Turing “Computing Machinery and Intelligence”
*Searle “Minds, Brains, and Programs”
5. Nov 23: The Intentional Stance
*Dennett “True Believers”
Clark, Mindware, Chapter 3
6. Nov 30: Connectionism
*Clark, Mindware, Chapter 4
Fodor and Pylyshyn “Connectionism and Cognitive Architecture: A Critical Analysis”
7. Dec 7: Modularity
*Fodor, J. (1985) “Precis of The Modularity of Mind”, Behavioral and Brain Sciences 8: 1-42.
Davies, M. (2010) “Double Dissociation: Understanding its Role in Cognitive Neuropsychology” Mind and Language 25: 500-540.
8. Dec 14: Predictive Coding
*Clark, Mindware, chapter 11
Clark, A. (2016) “Busting Out: Predictive Brains, Embodied Minds, and the Puzzle of the Evidentiary Veil”, Nous.
9. Jan 11: Anti-representationalism and the Extended Mind
*Clark, A. and Chalmers, D. (1998) “The Extended Mind”, Analysis 58: 10-23
Proffitt “Inferential vs Ecological Approaches to Perception”
Clark, Mindware, chapters 7 and 9
Gibson, JJ (1979) The Ecological Theory of Visual Perception, chapter 1
Wilson, M. (2001) “Six Views of Embodied Cognition”, Psychonomic Bull. & Rev. 9: 625-636.
10. Jan 18: Mindreading
*Goldman (2012) “Theory of mind”, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Cognitive Science, 402-424.
11. Jan 25: Free will and Neuroscience
*Brass, M. and Haggard, P. (2008) “The What, When, Whether Model of Intentional Action”, Neuroscientist 14: 319.
*Mele, A. (2009) Effective Intentions: The Power of Conscious Will (Oxford), chapter 1.
Libet, B. (1985) “Unconscious cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action”, Behavioural and Brain Sciences 8: 529-566.
Haggard, P. (2017) “Sense of Agency in the Human Brain”, Nature Reviews Neuroscience.