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PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
FALL 2015
Meets Mondays from 4-5 in 58/1039 (S/R L)
and Thursdays from 12-2 in 13/3019
SCHEDULE OF READINGS
For each week, the readings divide into required and optional
further readings. I include the optional readings just in case you
find the topic especially interesting and would like to do a presentation
on it or simply learn more. You are not expected to read them.
Many required readings are in Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings
(ed. Chalmers, D.), Mind and Cognition (eds. Lycan, W. G. and Prinz, J.) and The Nature
of Mind (ed. Rosenthal, D.), any of which would be useful to own.
Many supplementary readings are drawn from Jaegwon Kim's Philosophy of Mind and John
Heil's Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction, one of which I recommend buying.
Part 1: The Metaphysics of Mind
Week 1 – Substance Dualism
Required
Descartes, R. Selection from Meditations.
Optional Further Reading
Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia. Selections from Correspondence with Descartes
Gertler, B. "In Defense of Mind/Body Dualism"
Heil, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Kim, J. "Lonely Souls"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Robinson, H. "Dualism" WEB
Sosa, E. "Subjects among Other Things"
Sosa, E. "Mind-Body Interaction and Supervenient Causation"
Week 2 – The Type-Type Identity Theory
Required
Smart, J. J. C. "Sensations and Brain Processes"
Kripke, S. Excerpt from Naming and Necessity
Optional Further Reading
Heil, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Kim, J. "Muliple Realization and the Metaphysics of Reduction"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Maxwell, G. "Rigid Designators and Mind-Brain Identity"
Place, U. T. "Is Consciousness a Brain Process?"
Smart, J. J. C. "The Mind/Brain Identity Theory" WEB
Week 3 – Functionalism and the Computational Theory of Mind
Required
Putnam, H. "The Nature of Mental States"
Strongly Recommended Reading
Levin, J. "Functionalism" WEB
Optional Further Reading
Armstrong, D. M. "The Causal Theory of Mind"
Baker, L. "Functionalism"
Baker, L. "A Farewell to Functionalism"
Block, N. "What Is Functionalism?"
Heil, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Lewis, D. "Psychophysical and Theoretical Identifications"
Putnam, H. "Minds and Machines"
Pylyshyn, Z. "Computation and Cognition: Issues in the Foundations of Cognitive Science"
Ravenscroft, I. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Week 4 – Functionalism and the Computational Theory of Mind, Continued
Required
Block, N. "Troubles with Functionalism"
Optional Further Reading
Block, N. and Fodor, J. "What Mental States Are Not"
Chalmers, D. The Conscious Mind, Ch.9
Fodor, J. "Methodological Solipsism Considered as a Research Strategy in Cognitive Psychology"
Fodor, J. Selection from The Mind Doesn't Work That Way
Haugeland, J. "Semantic Engines: An Introduction to Mind Design"
Levin, J. "Could Love Be Like a Heat Wave?"
Nida-Rumelin, M. "Pseudonormal Vision: An Actual Case of Qualia Inversion?"
Searle, J. "Can Computers Think?"
Week 5 – Property Dualism
Required
Chalmers, D. "Consciousness and its Place in Nature"
Optional Further Reading
Chalmers, D. The Conscious Mind, Chs.3-4
Jackson, F. "Epiphenomenal Qualia"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Ch. 9
Kim, J. Physicalism, or Something Near Enough, Selection
Schneider, S. "Non-Reductive Physicalism and the Mind Problem"
Schneider, S. "Why Property Dualists Must Reject Substance Dualism"
WEEK 6 IS CONSULTATION WEEK; NO CLASSES
Part 2: A Little More on Consciousness
Week 7: More on Zombies
No new reading: We will continue to discuss Chalmers's arguments.
Week 8: Representational Theories of Consciousness
Required
Harman, G. "The Intrinsic Quality of Experience"
Optional Further Reading
Carruthers, P. "Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness." WEB
Dretske, F. "Conscious Experience"
Dretske, F. Ch. 1 of Naturalizing the Mind
Lycan, B. "Representational Theories of Consciousness." WEB
Lycan, B. "The Superiority of HOP to HOT"
Peacocke, C. "Sensation and the Content of Experience"
Rosenthal, D. "Explaining Consciousness"
Shoemaker, S. "Introspection and Phenomenal Character"
Tye, M. "Visual Qualia and Visual Content Reconsidered"
Part 3: Intentionality and Mental Content
Week 9: Externalism about Mental Content
Required
Putnam, H. "The Meaning of Meaning"
Optional Further Reading
Burge, T. "Individualism and the Mental"
Clark, A. and Chalmers, D. "The Extended Mind"
Fodor, J. "Individualism and Supervenience"
Lau, J. and Deutsch, M. "Externalism about Mental Content" WEB
Loar, B. "Social Content and Psychological Content"
Weeks 10-11: Naturalized Theories of Intentionality
Required
Millikan, R. "Biosemantics"
Strongly Recommended Reading
Dretske, F. "A Recipe for Thought"
Optional Further Reading
Adams, F. and Aizawa, K. "Causal Theories of Mental Content." WEB
Fodor, J. "Information and Representation"
Fodor, J. "Meaning and the World Order"
Fodor, J. A Theory of Content and Other Essays, Selections
Loewer, B. "A Guide to Naturalizing Semantics"
Neander, K. "Teleological Theories of Mental Content." WEB
Part 4: Mental Causation
Weeks 11-12: Problems of Mental Causation
Required
Bennett, K. "Mental Causation"
Optional Further Reading
Bennett, K. "Why the Exclusion Problem Seems Intractable, and How, Just Maybe, To Tract It"
Davidson, D. "Actions, Reasons, and Causes"
Davidson, D. "Mental Events"
Davidson, D. "Reply to Jennifer Hornsby"
Hornsby, J. "Agency and Causal Explanation"
Hornsby, J. "Anomalousness in Action"
Kim, J. "The Many Problems of Mental Causation"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Ch. 6
McLaughlin, B. "Type Epiphenomenalism, Type Dualism, and the Causal Priority of the Physical"
Robb, D. and Heil, J. "Mental Causation" WEB
Yablo, S. "Mental Causation"
Yalowitz, S. "Anomalous Monism." WEB
FALL 2015
Meets Mondays from 4-5 in 58/1039 (S/R L)
and Thursdays from 12-2 in 13/3019
SCHEDULE OF READINGS
For each week, the readings divide into required and optional
further readings. I include the optional readings just in case you
find the topic especially interesting and would like to do a presentation
on it or simply learn more. You are not expected to read them.
Many required readings are in Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings
(ed. Chalmers, D.), Mind and Cognition (eds. Lycan, W. G. and Prinz, J.) and The Nature
of Mind (ed. Rosenthal, D.), any of which would be useful to own.
Many supplementary readings are drawn from Jaegwon Kim's Philosophy of Mind and John
Heil's Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction, one of which I recommend buying.
Part 1: The Metaphysics of Mind
Week 1 – Substance Dualism
Required
Descartes, R. Selection from Meditations.
Optional Further Reading
Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia. Selections from Correspondence with Descartes
Gertler, B. "In Defense of Mind/Body Dualism"
Heil, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Kim, J. "Lonely Souls"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Robinson, H. "Dualism" WEB
Sosa, E. "Subjects among Other Things"
Sosa, E. "Mind-Body Interaction and Supervenient Causation"
Week 2 – The Type-Type Identity Theory
Required
Smart, J. J. C. "Sensations and Brain Processes"
Kripke, S. Excerpt from Naming and Necessity
Optional Further Reading
Heil, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Kim, J. "Muliple Realization and the Metaphysics of Reduction"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Maxwell, G. "Rigid Designators and Mind-Brain Identity"
Place, U. T. "Is Consciousness a Brain Process?"
Smart, J. J. C. "The Mind/Brain Identity Theory" WEB
Week 3 – Functionalism and the Computational Theory of Mind
Required
Putnam, H. "The Nature of Mental States"
Strongly Recommended Reading
Levin, J. "Functionalism" WEB
Optional Further Reading
Armstrong, D. M. "The Causal Theory of Mind"
Baker, L. "Functionalism"
Baker, L. "A Farewell to Functionalism"
Block, N. "What Is Functionalism?"
Heil, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Lewis, D. "Psychophysical and Theoretical Identifications"
Putnam, H. "Minds and Machines"
Pylyshyn, Z. "Computation and Cognition: Issues in the Foundations of Cognitive Science"
Ravenscroft, I. Philosophy of Mind, Selection
Week 4 – Functionalism and the Computational Theory of Mind, Continued
Required
Block, N. "Troubles with Functionalism"
Optional Further Reading
Block, N. and Fodor, J. "What Mental States Are Not"
Chalmers, D. The Conscious Mind, Ch.9
Fodor, J. "Methodological Solipsism Considered as a Research Strategy in Cognitive Psychology"
Fodor, J. Selection from The Mind Doesn't Work That Way
Haugeland, J. "Semantic Engines: An Introduction to Mind Design"
Levin, J. "Could Love Be Like a Heat Wave?"
Nida-Rumelin, M. "Pseudonormal Vision: An Actual Case of Qualia Inversion?"
Searle, J. "Can Computers Think?"
Week 5 – Property Dualism
Required
Chalmers, D. "Consciousness and its Place in Nature"
Optional Further Reading
Chalmers, D. The Conscious Mind, Chs.3-4
Jackson, F. "Epiphenomenal Qualia"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Ch. 9
Kim, J. Physicalism, or Something Near Enough, Selection
Schneider, S. "Non-Reductive Physicalism and the Mind Problem"
Schneider, S. "Why Property Dualists Must Reject Substance Dualism"
WEEK 6 IS CONSULTATION WEEK; NO CLASSES
Part 2: A Little More on Consciousness
Week 7: More on Zombies
No new reading: We will continue to discuss Chalmers's arguments.
Week 8: Representational Theories of Consciousness
Required
Harman, G. "The Intrinsic Quality of Experience"
Optional Further Reading
Carruthers, P. "Higher-Order Theories of Consciousness." WEB
Dretske, F. "Conscious Experience"
Dretske, F. Ch. 1 of Naturalizing the Mind
Lycan, B. "Representational Theories of Consciousness." WEB
Lycan, B. "The Superiority of HOP to HOT"
Peacocke, C. "Sensation and the Content of Experience"
Rosenthal, D. "Explaining Consciousness"
Shoemaker, S. "Introspection and Phenomenal Character"
Tye, M. "Visual Qualia and Visual Content Reconsidered"
Part 3: Intentionality and Mental Content
Week 9: Externalism about Mental Content
Required
Putnam, H. "The Meaning of Meaning"
Optional Further Reading
Burge, T. "Individualism and the Mental"
Clark, A. and Chalmers, D. "The Extended Mind"
Fodor, J. "Individualism and Supervenience"
Lau, J. and Deutsch, M. "Externalism about Mental Content" WEB
Loar, B. "Social Content and Psychological Content"
Weeks 10-11: Naturalized Theories of Intentionality
Required
Millikan, R. "Biosemantics"
Strongly Recommended Reading
Dretske, F. "A Recipe for Thought"
Optional Further Reading
Adams, F. and Aizawa, K. "Causal Theories of Mental Content." WEB
Fodor, J. "Information and Representation"
Fodor, J. "Meaning and the World Order"
Fodor, J. A Theory of Content and Other Essays, Selections
Loewer, B. "A Guide to Naturalizing Semantics"
Neander, K. "Teleological Theories of Mental Content." WEB
Part 4: Mental Causation
Weeks 11-12: Problems of Mental Causation
Required
Bennett, K. "Mental Causation"
Optional Further Reading
Bennett, K. "Why the Exclusion Problem Seems Intractable, and How, Just Maybe, To Tract It"
Davidson, D. "Actions, Reasons, and Causes"
Davidson, D. "Mental Events"
Davidson, D. "Reply to Jennifer Hornsby"
Hornsby, J. "Agency and Causal Explanation"
Hornsby, J. "Anomalousness in Action"
Kim, J. "The Many Problems of Mental Causation"
Kim, J. Philosophy of Mind, Ch. 6
McLaughlin, B. "Type Epiphenomenalism, Type Dualism, and the Causal Priority of the Physical"
Robb, D. and Heil, J. "Mental Causation" WEB
Yablo, S. "Mental Causation"
Yalowitz, S. "Anomalous Monism." WEB
