PHIL 309 Syllabus

Philosophy of Mind

Fall 2012 (T/Th 10:50-12:05, EHFA TBA)

http://ww2.coastal.edu/rsmith

Dr. Renée Smith

EHFA 282

rsmith@coastal.edu

T/Th 8:00-9:00 AM and 12:10-1:30 PM; and MW 10:00-12:00, and by appointment. Stop other times too, if you need to see me!

I expect you to come see me in office hours if you have questions about the material, want to discuss something covered in class, want to pursue a line of thought not addressed in class, want to discuss a possible paper topic, etc.

309 Philosophy of Mind. (3) An introduction to the fundamental questions, concepts and problems of contemporary philosophy of mind including those concerning the nature of mind, the relationship between mind and world, and understanding consciousness.

Students completing this course will:

1. Understand the mind-body problem.

2. Know the central solutions to this problem, proponents of those solutions, central arguments in favor of those solutions, and main objections to those solutions.

3. Distinguish main lines of argument, objections, and distinctions.

4. Use the central methodology of analytic philosophy.

5. Understand the problem of phenomenal consciousness.

6. Know the main positions with respect to the POC.

John Heil, Philosophy of mind: A guide and anthology, OUP, 2004.

Ravenscroft, Ian, Philosophy of mind: A beginner’s guide, OUP, 2005.

*Additional Readings will be on reserve in the handed out in class or posted on Bb.

This course will be conducted seminar style. Students will be expected to do daily assigned readings prior to coming to class and to actively participate in discussion. Attendance is required. All students are expected to have access to email and the course web page.

A (91-100); B+ (86-90); B (81-85); C+ (76-80); C (71-75); D+ (66-70); D (61-65); F (0-60)

All students are expected to attend class, participate in discussion, and complete the assigned readings on time. I will take roll to monitor attendance. Absences will affect your final grade as follows:

[NB. Being physically present (in the room) is not sufficient for attendance. You may be marked absent if you fail to participate in discussion, consistently sleep in class, read the paper, etc.]

Absences for serious illness, death in the immediate family, or a similar tragedy may be excused with the appropriate documentation, e.g. a doctor’s note, etc. or with my (advanced) approval. You are permitted 3 absences to cover emergencies. To have additional absences excused, excuses for these first 3 must be provided. *Do not assume that because you tell that me you will be (or were) absent that your absence will be excused.

There will be no makeup quizzes. Quizzes will be excused with the appropriate excuse. Late assignments will be marked down a full letter grade for each day they are late unless there is an acceptable excuse. Assignments more than one week late will not be accepted without an acceptable excuse.

Any student eligible for and needing academic accommodations because of a disability is requested to speak to me and provide documentation no later than the second week of class. If you suspect that you may have a learning disability, please contact Counseling Services 349-2307.

Campus Code of Conduct and Academic Responsibility will be enforced. Please refer to the Student Handbook or see me if you have questions about these policies. In particular, cheating and plagiarism constitutes grounds for receiving a failing grade in the course.

Additional Requirements

· Cheating or plagiarism of any sort will result in failure in the course. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct for details. There will be a number of opportunities to work in groups; however, the work you turn in must be uniquely yours unless otherwise specified.

· Respectful and civil conduct and attitudes are required at all times. This includes demonstrating respect for each other, the instructor, and the material. Participate when asked to do so, recognize that others may want to participate as well, respect the fact that this is my class, and I govern the classroom activities. Do not come to class late, eat, use your cell phone, read the paper, sleep, or socialize.

· You are expected to come to class prepared, having done the assigned reading, reviewed your notes from the previous classes, completed the reading questions, and willing to participate in discussion and take notes.

· Every assignment must be presented in a professional manner adhering to the rules of the English language, using formal style and tone, typed, stapled, and turned in on time. Late assignments will not be accepted except with my prior approval of for extreme extenuating circumstance, for instance, if your house burns down.

· Communication with your classmates and me should be “professional,” informative, clear, and respectful. For example, your email correspondence should adhere to the grammatical rules of the English language; you should sign your real name and specify which course you are taking. You should address me as “Dr. Smith” or “Professor Smith.” In email correspondence, you may address me as “RS.”

· Understanding the requirements and learning the material in this course is ultimately your responsibility. If you need assistance with or clarification of anything pertaining to this course, you should talk to me as soon as possible. Understand that I will be unsympathetic if you cannot demonstrate that you have put effort into understanding the material yourself, for instance, if you don’t own the book or you have no reading notes, if you have not come to class or you have not taken notes during the lecture, or if you have not done the homework or the quizzes.