Universität Wien
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180158 VO Current Developments in Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science (2025S)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie

Preparation meeting: Monday March 3rd, 2025, 11:00-13:00, HS 2i, NIG, Universitäststrasse 7, 2nd floor
Fr 07.03. 15:00-16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228

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

Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Friday 14.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 21.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 28.03. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 04.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 11.04. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 09.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 16.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 23.05. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 06.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
  • Friday 27.06. 15:00 - 16:30 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Content:

What are mental states? Are they brain states, embodied engagements with our environment, or do they exist at all? Can the content of our thoughts be stored in the external world? Are thoughts intrinsically conscious? These questions have preoccupied philosophy of mind and cognitive science in the past and continue to be debated today. Although timeless in their philosophical relevance, recent developments in cognitive science and philosophy have provided new impetus and possible answers to these age-old questions.

This course will focus on these more recent developments and the recent history leading up to them. The course will begin with a historical introduction, followed by a discussion of the established philosophical problems of "consciousness" and "intentionality", and will turn to interdisciplinary research on topics such as self-knowledge, “enaction”, extended cognition, predictive processing, and other minds.

Aims—students will:

- Become familiar with recent developments in philosophy of mind and cognitive science
- Get to know the historical background leading to these recent trends
- Come to understand the basic notions of philosophy of mind, such as propositional attitudes, phenomenal character, etc.
- Learn how to develop their own position using both philosophical arguments and empirical evidence in an integrative way.

Assessment and permitted materials

Students will take a 120-minute digital open-book examination during which they will be required to answer two essay questions. The exam will take place on Moodle.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Grading will depend on:

- Clear and precise answers
- A thorough yet critical presentation of the lecture material

Examination topics

The examination topics are limited to the content presented in the lecture and, thus, to the lecture material.

Reading list

Students can find the lecture literature – thematically assigned to the respective lecture units – on the course's Moodle platform.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Th 16.01.2025 12:26