Students

PHL 262 – Body and Mind

2014 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Colin Klein
Contact via colin.klein@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp or admission to GDipArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
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?

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
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

Online quizzes

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. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Essay exam 1

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.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Essay Exam 2

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.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Participation

Due: Weeks 2-13
Weighting: 20%

External students must contribute weekly to the online discussion forums. That will consist in (a) writing at least one thoughtful question about the reading and/or lecture, and (b) engaging in constructive discussion of others' questions and comments. The course convenor will also participate in these discussions from time to time, mainly in a facilitating and moderating role.Participation in the online form constitutes 20% of the overall grade. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

External students will watch recordings of both lectures each week, and participate weekly in online discussion forums. At time of publication, the lectures are on Monday 2-3pm and Wednesday 3-4pm; they will be made available through Echo on iLearn shortly after.  The online discussion form will be available through iLearn. 

External students are expected to watch both leactures, and participate in the online forum from weeks 2-13. 

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.

Unit Schedule

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  

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2
  • Participation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour

Assessment tasks

  • Online quizzes
  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2
  • Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate an awareness of central problems in Philosophy of Mind
  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment tasks

  • Online quizzes
  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2
  • Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literature
  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment tasks

  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2
  • Participation

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • Develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit, and to present your own views with clarity and rigour
  • Develop clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition.

Assessment tasks

  • Online quizzes
  • Essay exam 1
  • Essay Exam 2
  • Participation