Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Colin Klein
Contact via colin.klein@mq.edu.au
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
12cp or admission to GDipArts
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit explores the relationship between the body and the mind. It introduces students to the central issues in contemporary philosophy of mind, focusing on the issue of whether the mind can be incorporated into the scientific picture of the world. The first part of the unit consists of a survey of competing philosophical theories of the mind: dualism, behaviourism, the identity theory, and functionalism. The second half consists of a discussion of some topical issues in contemporary philosophy of mind and cognitive science. What is the nature of phenomenal (subjective) experience? Is a physical theory of consciousness possible? Is there a language of thought? If so, what is its nature? How do mental states represent the world? Does neurophysiology show us that common sense psychology is scientifically dispensable?
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Online quizzes | 20% | Weeks 2-12 |
Essay exam 1 | 25% | 28/4/14 |
Essay Exam 2 | 35% | 20/6/14 |
Participation | 20% | Weeks 2-13 |
Due: Weeks 2-12
Weighting: 20%
There will be a quiz on the assigned reading/previous due each week before 2pm Monday. Each quiz will consist of one short answer question. The quiz will be accessible on iLearn from the preceeding Friday. You will have 10 inutes to answer the quiz once you begin; after 10 minutes, your answer will be saved. Quizzes will be graded either 0 (did not complete), 1 (adequate), or 2 (exceptional). If you complete all 11 quizzes, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped.
Due: 28/4/14
Weighting: 25%
The first essay exam will cover materials from week one to six. It will require answering three questions with short 500-word essays. The exam will be assigned on 9/4/14 and be due by 2pm on 28/4/14.
Essays will be submitted using "Turnitin" through the unit iLearn site.
Due: 20/6/14
Weighting: 35%
The final essay exam will cover materials cumulatively from the course. It will require answering two questions with 1000-word essays. The exam will be assigned on 11/6/14 and be due by 5pm on 20/6/14.
Essays will be submitted using "Turnitin" through the unit iLearn site.
Due: Weeks 2-13
Weighting: 20%
Students should be active and participate during tutorials. That means students need to study the weekly readings, be prepared to ask questions about the readings, and respond to other students' questions. Tutorial attendance and participation constitute 20% of the overall grade. Tutorial attendance during weeks 2-13 is compulsory for internal students, and students who do not attend at least 8 tutorials will not receive a mark for participation.
CLASSES
Internal students will attend two lectures and one tutorial each week.
At time of publication, the lectures are on at:
Monday 2-3pm in W6B 325, and Wednesday 3-4pm in E7B 164
You are expected to attend both lectures.
You also need to attend one tutorial each week, on:
Monday 3-4pm in W5C 334, or Wednesday 4-5pm Building W5A Room 201
Check the timetable at https://timetables.mq.edu.au just before classes begin in case there are any late changes.
READING
There is a mandatory unit reader. You must also purchase a copy of Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy (We will use the Hackett edition, ISBN 0872201929).
You may optionally purchase Pete Mandik's This is Philosophy of Mind, which will provide supplementary background reading for several weeks.
The week's readings are listed on this unit guide and will also be listed each week on iLearn. Readings should be done before the first lecture of the week. You should bring the weeks' reading material to both lecture and tutorial.
WEBSITE
The unit website is available through iLearn (http://ilearn.mq.edu.au). It contains essential resources for the unit, and you are expected to log in on a regular basis.
Week 1: Introduction | Descartes, Meditation 1 |
Week 2: Dualism & its Problems |
Descartes, Meditation 6 Mandik, Ch2 |
Week 3: Behaviorism |
Ryle, excerpt from The Concept of Mind Fodor, excerpt 1 from The Language of Thought Mandik Ch5 |
Week 4: Identity Theory |
Smart “Sensations and Brain Processes” Mandik Ch6 |
Week 5: Functionalism |
Putnam “The Nature of Mental States” Mandik Ch 8 |
Week 6: Cognitivism |
Pinker “Rules of Language” Simon “What is an ‘Explanation’ of Behavior?” |
Week 7: Computation & Mind |
Turing “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” Searle “Can Computers Think?” Mandik Ch7 |
Week 8: Nonreductive Physicalism |
Fodor, excerpt 2 from The Language of Thought Mandik Ch9 |
Week 9: Consciousness |
Jackson “Epiphenomenal Qualia” Chalmers “The Puzzle of Conscious Experience” Mandik Ch14 (to p206) |
Week 10: Consciousness and the Brain |
Nagel “Brain Bisection and the Unity of Consciousness” |
Week 11: Neuropsychology |
Parkin, excerpt from Explorations in Cognitive Neuropsychology Ramachandran “The Unbearable Likeness of Being” |
Week 12: Eliminative Materialism |
Churchland “Eliminative Materialism and The Propositional Attitudes” Mandik Ch10 |
Week 13: Review |
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Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
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