Phil. 31133: Philosophy of Cognitive Science (Fall 2025)

Basic info.

Instructor: Griffin Pion (he/him)

Email: gpion@gradcenter.cuny.edu

Office hours: Wednesday 1:45–2:45 PM, at a table just past the entrance of the NAC Library; or over zoom by appointment

Course meeting: Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:30–1:45 PM, NAC 6/214

Course description

The human mind is the most complex system we’ve ever encountered, yet it’s one we carry with us every day. How does this remarkable organ create thoughts, solve problems, or even imagine entire worlds? Despite centuries of study, we are only beginning to uncover the secrets of how minds – human, animal, and artificial – work. Cognitive science seeks to answer these profound questions by combining insights from philosophy, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science, among other disciplines. In this course, you’ll examine the philosophical foundations of cognitive science and explore how empirical evidence can bear on our understanding of the mind. Together, we’ll investigate questions like: What frameworks best capture the nature of thought? Are humans born with innate knowledge? How does thought relate to language? Can non-human animals think or communicate like us? And what can artificial intelligence teach us about ourselves?

Please see the full syllabus here. 

(Image credit: M.C. Escher (1956), Bond of Union)