Philosophy

Philosophy of Mind

Module code: V7078
Level 5
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay

On this module, you'll examine the nature of the mind, including insights from metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of language.

This relates to empirical work in the cognitive sciences (psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, linguistics and robotics).

Topics you'll explore include:

• the mind-body relation
• problem of other minds
• creature and machine consciousness
• the nature and causal efficacy of the mental
• self-knowledge
• mental representation
• embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive cognition.

An emphasis is placed on critical examination of arguments for and against competing accounts of the mind. You'll have the opportunity to examine and develop your own positions on these issues.

Module learning outcomes

• Present a coherent and detailed understanding of key issues in the philosophy of mind.
• Analyse key arguments in important texts in the philosophy of mind.
• Analyse key concepts in the topic, such as 'mind', 'representation' and 'thought'.
• Present and defend some independent views with regard to the issues.