Universität Wien

180135 SE Delusions: Philosophical and Psychological Questions (2016S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 02.03. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 09.03. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 16.03. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 06.04. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 13.04. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 20.04. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 27.04. 13:15 - 16:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Contents
The delusions of madmen have long played a part in philosophical analyses of knowledge and belief, providing a heuristic for understanding skepticism and a foil against which models of rationality and sound reasoning can be recognized. More recently, sharpened philosophical and scientific interest in pathological delusions has directed us toward several controversial questions about how they are to be understood. Does a difference in kind distinguish them from more everyday erroneous beliefs and fixed convictions – are they, indeed natural kinds? Does their status rest on, or on some combination of faulty reasoning; propositional content that is false, implausible (as Jaspers thought), incomprehensible, or on being un-shared by others? How do the criteria for assigning delusion status in the clinic acknowledge the differing truth conditions among ordinary beliefs (those based on observation in contrast to those religious claims, for example), as well as differing kinds of delusions and ways of acquiring and maintaining them? Should we acknowledge that attitudes, values and desires may be delusional, or only beliefs? Indeed, delusions beliefs at all, or forms of imagining, or sui generis? While they may violate procedural rationality, do delusions sometimes have an admirable adaptive value for those who hold them?
In this course we look at contemporary theorizing about delusion with a particular focus on how it bears on claims about knowledge, certainty, solipsism and agency from Western philosophical traditions, and on how it illuminates the interface between the philosophy of mind and cognitive neuroscience.
Aims
* Students will become familiar with historical and present day theorizing about delusional thought within philosophy and cognitive neuroscience.
* They will learn to interpret, clarify and critically discuss texts, ideas and empirical data.
* They will acquire skill in giving oral presentations and writing short essays on specifically-focused topics
Methods
* close reading of a range of texts
* group discussion
* oral presentations on reading materials

Assessment and permitted materials

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Requirements for passing the course
* attending at least 5 of the 7 seminars
* preparing a short oral presentation on one of the readings
* submitting two short essays (2500 words each) on topics of their choosing related to the material covered in the seminars, one due after the Easter break, and the second on the last day of classes.

Examination topics

Reading list

Readings and weekly topics
The readings for each seminar after the first should be completed before the seminar and will be made available a week before each session on moodle. The first seminar will be introductory, with readings introduced in class to be completed afterwards.

Association in the course directory

M3 B. Metaphysik/ Ontologie, Phänomenologie, Philosophie des Geistes, MA M1, M5

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36