Philosophy of Mind 5450/6450 Ron Mallon

T 2-5 PM BU C 301

Texts: The Nature of Mind, David Rosenthal (R)

Mental Representation, Stephen P. Stich and Ted Warfield (SW)

Recommended (but not ordered):

The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates

(Block, Flanagan, Güzeldere.) (BFG)

Instructor: Ron Mallon

Office Hours: Thursday morning 11AM-Noon or by appt.

341K Orson Spencer Hall

email: rmallon@philosophy.utah.edu

web: www.hum.utah.edu/~rmallon

Course Description:

In this course we will survey developments in the philosophy of mind over the past forty years.

Course Requirements:

Undergraduates: Students taking the course for undergraduate credit will be expected to write three 4-6 page papers on topics to be assigned periodically throughout the semester. You may also (at your option) present a reading for 10% of your grade.

Paper 1 is due: Tuesday, February 22nd. Paper 1 Topic Suggestions

Paper 2 is due: Thursday March 31. Paper 2 Topic Suggestions

Paper 3 is due: Friday April 29. NOW CHANGED TO MAY 6!! Paper 3 Topics

Graduates: Students taking the course for graduate credit will be graded on a single term paper (15-20 pages in length), and on a class presentation of a reading.

All Students: The University of Utah requires attendance at all classes. Persistent failure to attend may adversely affect your final grade by an amount not to exceed 10% (i.e. one full letter).

• = recommended reading

*= May be presented.

Jan 11

Topic 1: Introduction

Introduction to the Course

• Colin McGinn, "Mental Phenomena" On Reserve

Jan 18

Topic 2: The Identity Theory, The Causal Theory and Functionalism

J.J.C. Smart, “Sensations and Brain Brocesses” R 169-176

D.M. Armstrong, “The Causal Theory of Mind” R181-188

• Hilary Putnam, “Brains and Behavior” R151-159

• David Lewis, “Psychophysical and Theoretical Identifications” R204-210

Jan 25

Topic 3: Critiques of Functionalism

Ned Block, “Troubles with Functionalism,” R 211-228

John Searle, “Minds, Brains, and Programs,” “Author’s Response,” and “Yin and Yang Strike Out,” R509-519, 521-523, 525-26.

Jerry Fodor, “Searle on What Only Brains Can Do,” and “Yin and Yang in the Chinese Room,” R520-521, 524, 525

Feb 1

Topic 4: The Language of Thought Hypothesis

Jerry Fodor, "First Approximations" On Reserve

Jerry Fodor, “Propositional Attitudes” R325-339

Paper 1 Topic Suggestions

Feb 8

Topic 5: The Intentional Stance and Interpretive Semantics

Daniel Dennett, “True Believers: The Intentional Stance and Why It Works” & “Reflections: Real Patterns, Deeper Facts and Empty Questions,” R339-353.

"Brain Writing and Mind Reading" R502-508

Feb 15

Topic 6: Eliminativism

*Paul Churchland, “Eliminative Materialism and Propositional Attitudes” R206-223

*Paul Churchland & Patricia Churchland “Stalking the Wild Epistemic Engine”

On Reserve (Also on Jstor)

• Richard Rorty, “Persons Without Minds” R268-286

Feb 22

PAPER 1 IS DUE FEB. 22nd

Topic 7: Semantic Externalism

*Hilary Putnam, “The meaning of ‘meaning’” On Reserve

*Brian Loar, “Social Content and Psychological Content” R568-575

March 1

Topic 8: Externalist Folk Psychology vs. Methodological Individualism

* Robert Stalnaker, “On What’s in the Head” R576-589

* Stephen P. Stich, “Autonomous Psychology and the Belief-Desire Thesis” R590-600

• Tyler Burge, “Individualism and Psychology” On Reserve (Also Jstor)

• Jerry Fodor,“Methodological Individualism Considered as a Research Strategy in the Cognitive Sciences” and “Author’s Response” R485-498, R500-501

• Stephen Stich, “Paying the Price for Methodological Solipsism” R499-500

March 8

Topic 9: Theories of Content – Overview

*Jerry Fodor, “Fodor’s Guide to Mental Representation” Electronic Marriott Copy

Paper 2 Topic Suggestions

March 14-18: Spring Break

March 22

Topic 10: Theories of Content – Conceptual Role Theories

*Ned Block, “Advertisement for a Semantics for Psychology” SW81-141

To be on reserve

*Jerry Fodor and Ernie Lepore, “Why Meaning (Probably) Isn’t Conceptual Role”

in .pdf

March 29

Topic 11: Theories of Content – Informational Theories & Teleological Theories

*Jerry Fodor, “A Theory of Content II: The Theory” To be on reserve

*Fred Adams and Ken Aizawa, “Fodorian Semantics” SW 223-242

*Ruth Millikan, “Biosemantics” Link to .pdf

PAPER 2 is DUE THURSDAY MARCH 31, in 341 OSH.

April 5

Topic 12: To be Determined (Catch Up, Bonus Work!!)

Possibly: content externalism and privileged access?

Paper 3 Topics

April 12

Topic 13: Consciousness

*Thomas Nagel, “What It’s Like to Be a Bat” R422-428

*Frank Jackson, “What Mary Didn’t Know” R 392-395
•Joseph Levine, “On Leaving Out What It’s Like” BFG 543-556 On Reserve

April 19

Topic 14: Resolving the Problem of Consciousness

*David Chalmers "Can Consciousness be Reductively Explained?" On Reserve

*Christopher Hill, Brian McLauglin: "There are Fewer Things in Reality than are Dreamt of in Chalmer's Philosophy" On Reserve (Also Jstor)

*Paul Churchland, “Knowing Qualia: A Reply to Jackson” BFG 571-578 On Reserve

• Brian Loar, "David Chalmer's The Conscious Mind" On Reserve (Also Jstor)

• Daniel Dennett, “Quining Qualia” BFG 619-642

• David Lewis, “What Experience Teaches” BFG 579-596

April 26 Wrap Up, Catch-Up

*Colin McGinn, “Can We Solve the Mind-Body Problem?” BFG 529-542 On Reserve (Also Jstor)

PAPER 3 IS DUE FRIDAY APRIL 29, NOW MAY 6th! in 341 OSH.

Paper 3 Topics

Policies

Late policy: Late work will be 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.

Policies:

The American with Disabilities Act

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. All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

Drop/Withdrawal Policy

Classes dropped by the 10th calendar day of the semester are deleted from students' records and no tuition is charged. Students may withdraw from a full term course without the instructor or dean's permission until the midpoint of the semester as published on the academic calendar. To withdraw, students must log into the Campus Information System. A "W" grade will be recorded on students' academic record. Following is the link to the University's Drop/Withdrawal Policy to learn more:

http://www.sa.utah.edu/regist/calendar/datesDeadlines/spring2005.htm

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 includes, but is not limited to, representing as one's own, without attribution, any individual's words, phrasing, ideas, sequence of ideas, information or any other mode or content of expression (Student Code, p. 3).

NOTE: New Tuition Policy

Beginning Fall 2003, undergraduate students who do not pay tuition by the due date, September 10, will have their classes cancelled and will not be able to reinstate them. Students are responsible for paying tuition for Fall Semester by January 27, 2005. Students who have classes deleted due to non-payment of tuition may not reinstate cancelled classes or use late add forms to add classes.

http://www.acs.utah.edu/student/tuitchgs.htm