Lectures
- 1. Introduction: Searle against artificial intelligence
- 2. Searle II
- 3. Searle III
- 4. Dualism
- 5. Dualism II
- 6. Behaviorism
- 7. Behaviorism II
- 8. The identity theory I
- 9. The identity theory II
- 10. Functionalism
- 11. Functionalism II
- 12. Functionalism III
- 13. Intentionality and externalism
- 14. Intentionality and externalism II
- 15. Externalism
- 16. Externalism and self-knowledge
- 17. Nagel on bats
- 18. Jackson's knowledge argument
- 19. Jackson's knowledge argument II
- 20. Chalmers' dualism
- 21. Chalmers' dualism II
- 22. Panprotopsychism
- 23. Panprotopsychism II
- 24. Mysterianism
- 25. Consciousness and intentionality
- 26. Conclusion: Final lecture
Minds and Machines
Course Summary
This course is based on 24.09 Minds and Machines, Spring 2007 made available by Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license.
This course is an introduction to many of the central issues in a branch of philosophy called philosophy of mind. Some of the questions we will discuss include the following. Can computers think? Is the mind an immaterial thing? Or is the mind the brain? Or does the mind stand to the brain as a computer program stands to the hardware? How can creatures like ourselves think thoughts that are "about" things? Can I know whether your experiences and my experiences when we look at raspberries, fire trucks and stop lights are the same? Can consciousness be given a scientific explanation?
Reading Material
1. Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary ReadingsChalmers, David, ed. Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780195145816.
2. Mind: A Brief Introduction
Searle, John R. Mind: A Brief Introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780195157345.
(Click the button below to see a preview of the 2004 hardcover edition of the book)
Course Material
1. Handout 1: Arguments - The Basics2. Handout 2: The Chinese Room Argument
3. Handout 3: Properties and Particulars
4. Handout 4: Dualism
5. Handout 5: Possibility and Necessity
6. Handout 6: Behaviorism
7. Handout 7: The Identity Theory
8. Handout 8: Functionalism
9. Handout 9: Externalism and Self-knowledge
10. Handout 10: The Knowledge Argument Against Physicalism
11. Topical review outline
Other Resources
1. The Pink Guide to Taking Philosophy ClassesThe Pink Guide to Taking Philosophy Classes (MIT Department of Philosophy) - 1.0 MB pdf.
