Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
OUA Convenor
Jennifer Duke-Yonge
Contact via jennifer.duke-yonge@mq.edu.au, or via 'Dialogues' in iLearn
Dept of Philosophy, Level 2, Australian Hearing Hub Building, Macquarie University
By arrangement
OUA Tutor
Andrew Latham
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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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? What is consciousness? Is a physical theory of consciousness possible? What is the role of the body in cognitive processes?
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Assessments are to be submitted through Turnitin, and will be marked and returned via Grademark. For information about these tools, see:
http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm
Special Consideration
Requests for extensions should be submitted via a Special Consideration request, which is available in the http://ask.mq.edu.au portal. Your request should be accompanied by appropriate documentation, such as a medical certificate. Please see the Special Consideration policy in the list of policies at the end of this document for further details.
Read the policy closely as your request may be turned down if you have not followed procedure, or if you have not submitted a request in a timely manner.
Late Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration 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 more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Academic Honesty
In Philosophy, academic honesty is taken very seriously. Misrepresenting someone else's work as your own may be grounds for referral to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee. If you have questions about how to properly cite work or how to credit sources, please talk to one of the teaching staff and see also Academic Integrity Policy (see the Policies and Procedures section below).
Please note that the policy also prohibits resubmitting work you have already submitted in another unit or unit offering. This counts as self-plagiarism. To avoid self-plagiarism, if you have done this unit previously, you should write on another topic this time. If this presents you with any problems, please contact the unit covenor as soon as possible.
For information about extensions, late penalties and special consideration, see Policies and Procedures section below.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Participation | 15% | No | Throughout |
Online quizzes | 15% | No | Sunday, Week 5, 9 & 13 |
First essay | 30% | No | Sun 23/9 (in mid-term break) |
Final essay | 40% | No | Sun 11/11 (Wk13) |
Due: Throughout
Weighting: 15%
Participation marks will be based on engagement in online forums. Your participation will be assessed based on your willingness to engage and the quality of your engagement. Assessment criteria will be engagement with the learning community, engagement with content, and consistency and commitment. Note that your posts should be made in a timely fashion. Late submissions may not be counted. See rubric for details.
Due: Sunday, Week 5, 9 & 13
Weighting: 15%
Three short online quizzes (10 multiple choice questions) in which you answer a number of questions. The quizzes are due in week 5, 9 and 13. The criteria for assessment is the selection of the correct answer from the choices provided. Each quiz will be open from 9am Monday until 11.59pm Sunday of the relevant week.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Due: Sun 23/9 (in mid-term break)
Weighting: 30%
You will write a short 1000 word essay on one of the topics discussed during the first half of the course. These topics include Cartesian dualism, behaviorism, functionalism, identity theory, and nonreductive physicalism. Your essay should be submitted online via Turnitin. Assessment criteria are: Focus, Structure, Exposition, Argument. A rubric will be available in iLearn.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Due: Sun 11/11 (Wk13)
Weighting: 40%
You will write a 1500-2000 word essay on one of the topics discussed during the second half of the course. These topics include consciousness, situated cognition, embodied cognition, extended and distributed cognition. Your essay should be submitted online via Turnitin. Assessment criteria are: Focus, Structure, Exposition, Argument. A rubric will be available in iLearn.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
The textbook for this unit is :
John Heil. (2013). Philosophy of mind: A contemporary introduction (3rd edition). Routlegde.
You will need to purchase a copy of this book as soon as possible (http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au)
Additional essential readings will be available electronically through the Macquarie University Library, with links from iLearn.
Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. Unit resources include lecture recordings, quizzes, written content, discussion forums and assignment submission.
PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. A reliable internet connection is required throughout semester.
Important schedule information: Please note that OUA units offered by Macquarie University now follow Macquarie Sessions rather than OUA Study Periods. This will include a mid-session break of two weeks. You will find the Session dates below:
Week |
Topic |
Readings |
1 (week beginning 30/7) |
Course introduction |
Heil ch 1 |
2 (w/b 6/8) |
Cartesian dualism |
Heil ch 2 & 3 |
3 (w/b 13/8) |
Behaviorism |
Heil ch 4 |
4 (w/b 20/8) |
Identity theory |
Heil ch 5 |
5 (w/b 27/8) |
Functionalism |
Heil ch 6 |
6 (w/b 3/9) |
Nonreductive physicalism |
Heil ch 11 |
7 (w/b 10/9) |
Consciousness |
Heil ch 10 (MID-SEMESTER BREAK 15/9-30/9)) |
8 (w/b 1/10) |
Consciousness and the brain |
Excerpt from the Stanford encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Consciousness |
9 (w/b 8/10) |
Representational theory of mind |
Heil ch 7 |
10 (w/b 15/10) |
Situated cognition |
Clark, A. (2001). Cognitive Technology: Beyond the Naked Brain. In Mindware: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Science. Oxford University Press.
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11 (w/b 22/10) |
Embodied cognition |
M.L. Anderson. (2005). How to study the mind: An introduction to embodied cognition. In: F. Santoianni, C. Sabatano (Eds.), Brain Development in Learning Environments: Embodied and Perceptual Advancements. Cambridge University Press. |
12 (w/b 29/10) |
Extended and distributed cognition |
Clark, A. & Chalmers, D. (1998). The extended mind. Analysis, 58, 10-23. Hutchins, E. (2001) Cognition, Distributed. In R. A. Wilson & F. C. Keil (Eds.). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. MIT Press. |
Unless a Special Consideration 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 more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.
You need to show that the circumstances:
If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:
Outcome
Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.
You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.
If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.
If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.
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.
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