Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Course convenor
Alexander James Gillett
Course convenor
Adam Hochman
Jennifer Duke-Yonge
|
---|---|
Credit points |
Credit points
3
|
Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(12cp at 100 level or above) 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 psychology, 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 consciousness? Is a physical theory of consciousness possible? What is the role of the body in cognitive processes? How does pathology shed light on the nature of the mind?
|
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:
Unless a Disruption to Studies request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Tutorial participation | 15% | No | Throughout |
Online quizzes | 15% | No | Week 4, 8, 12 |
First essay | 30% | No | 20/4/18 |
Final essay | 40% | No | 16/6/18 |
Due: Throughout
Weighting: 15%
Each week, external students have to write a 200 words summary of the weekly readings. This is to replace the tutorials of the internal students, and is meant to ensure consistent engagement with the course material.
Due: Week 4, 8, 12
Weighting: 15%
Three short online quizzes (10 multiple choice questions) in which you answer a number of questions. The quizzes are due in week 4, 8 and 12 (23/3/18, 4/5/18, 1/6/18).
Due: 20/4/18
Weighting: 30%
You will write a short 1500 word essay on one of the topics discussed during the first half of the course. These topics include Cartesian dualism, behaviorism, identity theory, functionalism, the representational theory of mind, and externalism. In week 8, we'll discuss the outcome of the essays during class, providing elaborate feedback on your essay such that you can incorporate common mistakes in your second essay. Your essay should be submitted online via Turnitin.
Due: 16/6/18
Weighting: 40%
You will write a 2000 word essay on one of the topics discussed during the second half of the course. These topics include consciousness, non-western philosophy, the modular mind, the unconscious mind, predictive processing, and animal cognition. Your essay should be submitted online via Turnitin.
John Heil. (2013). Philosophy of mind: A contemporary introduction (3rd edition). Routlegde. (Note that this is the 3rd edition!)
Additional resources will be uploaded on iLearn
Week |
Topic |
Readings |
1 |
Course introduction |
Heil ch 1 |
2 |
Cartesian dualism |
Heil ch 2 & 3 |
3 |
Behaviorism |
Heil ch 4 |
4 |
Identity theory |
Heil ch 5 |
5 |
Functionalism |
Heil ch 6 |
6 |
The Representational Theory of Mind |
Heil ch 7 |
7 |
Externalism |
Clark, A. & Chalmers, D. (1998) The extended mind. Analysis 58, 10-23. |
8 |
Consciousness |
Heil ch 10 |
9 |
Non-Western Philosophy of Mind |
Chadma, M. (2015) The Problem of the Unity of Consciousness. Philosophy East and West 65(3), 746-764. |
10 |
The Modular Mind |
Gray, Russell D., Megan Heaney, and Scott Fairhall. 2003. “Evolutionary Psychology and the Challenge of Adaptive Explanation.” (pp. 247-268) In K. Sterelny & J. Fitness (eds.) From Mating to Mentality: Evaluating Evolutionary Psychology. New York: Psychology Press. |
11 |
The Unconscious Mind |
Boag, Simon (2007). Realism, Self-Deception and the Logical Paradox of Repression. Theory & Psychology. 17(3): 421–447 |
12 |
Predictive Processing |
Wiese, W. & Metzinger, T. (2017) Vanilla PP for Philosophers – a Primer on Predictive Processing. In T. Metzinger & W. Wiese (Eds.). Philosophy and Predictive Processing: 1. Frankfurt am Main: MIND Group |
13 | Animal Cognition |
Andrews, Kristin, "Animal Cognition", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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: