PHIL 3440: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Fall 2007 T-TH 9:10-10:30 BU C 302
Instructor: Dr. Ron Mallon
OSH 341
585-5810
www.hum.utah.edu/~rmallon
Office
Hours: Thursday 1-2 PM or by appt.
Texts: Mindware by Andy Clark.
The Modularity of Mind by Jerry Fodor.
Reserve readings as assigned.
Course Description:
Over the last 40 years, an exciting new research paradigm arose at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, linguistics, logic and computer science. This research paradigm consisted of a cluster of methodological assumptions, research paradigms, and theoretical goals, and it has been enormously productive in guiding inquiry and theory building about the human mind.
This course will survey a number of the theoretical debates that have arisen in the course of the maturation of cognitive science. Included among these is the character and relevance of mental representation and content, what it means to compare the mind to a computer, the idea of a "module" and of an innate faculty.
Course Requirements:
The course requirements are simple. They consist in:
In class mid-term test: 30% Tuesday, October 30th QUESTIONS
Final Exam: 30% Thursday, December 13th, 8-10 AM
Study questions for final exam are identical to take home exam questions HERE.
Class papers (2-3): 30%-40% First Paper Topics 2nd Paper Topics
Class Participation: up to 10%
TAKE HOME FINAL OPTION:
DUE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14
TAKES THE PLACE OF BOTH
THE FINAL PAPER and THE FINAL EXAM
Students wishing to take the regular final exam and turn in a final paper (as originally announced) should indicate their intention by Tuesday, December 4.
Introduction
Tuesday,
August 21:
Reading: None
Thursday,
August 23:
Reading: Mindware, 1-5
Minds as
Machines
Tuesday August
28:
Reading: Mindware,
pp. 7-15
Thursday,
August 30:
Reading: Mindware,
pp. 15- 27
Syntax/Semantics Worksheet in .pdf
Tuesday,
September 4:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 28-33
Thursday,
September 6:
Reading: John Haugeland, "Semantic
Engines" (reserve)
Syntax/Semantics
Worksheet Due
Tuesday,
September 11:
Thursday, September
13:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 34-42
Realism,
Eliminativism, Instrumentalism
Tuesday,
September 18:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 43-53
Thursday,
September 20th
Reading: Jerry Fodor, "Propositional
Attitudes" (reserve)
Tuesday,
September 25th:
Thursday,
September 27th:
Reading: Daniel Dennett, "True Believers"
and "Brain Writing and Mind Reading" (reserve)
Tuesday,
October 2nd:
Reading:
Paul Churchland, "Eliminative Materialism and the Propositional
Attitudes" (reserve)
Thursday,
October 5th:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 53-61
Tuesday,
October, 9th: Fall Break
Thursday,
October 11th: Fall Break
Connectionism
and Levels of Explanation
Tuesday,
October 16th:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 62-83
Thursday,
October, 18th:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 84-102
Tuesday,
October 23rd:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 103-109
Thursday,
October 25th:
Reading: Mindware, pp. 109-119
Tuesday,
October 30th:
MIDTERM QUESTIONS
Modularity
Thursday,
November 1st
Reading: Modularity, pp. 1-38
Tuesday,
November 6th:
Reading: Modularity, pp. 38-46
Thursday,
November 8th:
Reading: Modularity, pp. 47-101
Tuesday,
November 13th: Modularity, pp. 101-119
Domain
Specific Central Processes?
Thursday,
November 15th:
Reading: Keil, "Origins of an Autonomous
Biology" (reserve)
Tuesday,
November 20th:
Mallon's Frank Keil Lecture Notes
Thursday,
November 22nd: Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, November
27th
Reading: John Bargh, "The Unbearable
Automaticity of Being" (reserve)
Thursday,
November 29th:
Reading: John Tooby and Leda Cosmides,
"Psychological Foundations of Culture"
Tuesday,
December 4th:
Recommended
reading: David Buller, "Arguments for Modularity Reconsidered"
Thursday,
December 6th
Final: Thursday, December
13th, 8-10 AM
Other
Policies
Attendance
Attendance
is not mandatory, but you are responsible for the material presented in
class. I am not responsible for
representing material to you that you have missed, and I will not do so. If you are absent, take responsibility
for getting notes from a classmate.
Late
policy
Late
work will be accepted and penalized penalized. If you have a planned absence or a conflict with another
class, make arrangements with me in advance to avoid penalty. If you have an unexpected emergency
(e.g. the death of a loved one or a medical problem), plan to present me with
documentation of it. Unexcused
late work will be penalized at the rate of 1 letter grade per week, up to a
maximum of two full letter grades.
Plagiarism
"Plagiarism" means the intentional unacknowledged use or
incorporation of any other person's work in, or as a basis for, one's own work
offered for academic consideration or credit for public presentation. Plagiarism is punishable by a penalty not to exceed
a failing grade in the class. It
is my own policy, repeatedly and consistently applied in the past, to award a
failing grade for the class for any substantial instance of plagiarism.
http://www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html#SECTION V.
The University of Utah
seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for
people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class,
reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability
Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you
and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations.
Policy concerning
accommodation of religious beliefs:
There will be no
accommodation for religious beliefs. University policy can be found here:
http://www.admin.utah.edu/facdev/accommodations-policy.pdf
Official policy
governing grade appeals:
http://www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/8-10.html#SECTION IV
http://www.sa.utah.edu/regist/registration/withdrawal/withdrawal1.htm