Philosophy of Mind

Reading List

This list of readings is tentative and the dates are approximate.  It may be revised at any time, as the course progresses.  Additional readings may be added, and certain readings may be skipped.  I will be assigning the specific readings each day in class.

  Key to Texts:
  R = The Nature of Mind, Rosenthal, ed.
  K = Philosophy of Mind, Kim
  H = Handout, unless a hyperlink to an on-line article is provided.

Schedule of Topics and Readings

Jan. 14 – Jan. 31                 Dualism

  • K: Chapter 1
  • “Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper” (see the resources section of syllabus)
  • H: Paul Churchland, from Matter and Consciousness
  • R: Descartes, “Meditations 2 & 6”  (pp. 21-29)
  • R: Descartes, “Discourse on Method”  (pp. 34-35)  [skipped]
  • R: Descartes, “Letter to Elizabeth”  (p. 33) [skipped]
  • H: Antoine Arnauld, “Objections IV”
  • H: Descartes, “Reply”
  • R: Gilbert Ryle, “Descartes’ Myth”  (pp. 51-57) [skipped]
Feb. 4 – Feb. 6                 Behaviorism
  • K: Chapter 2
  • R: Hilary Putnam, “Brains and Behavior”  (pp. 151-159)
  • R: Bertrand Russell, “Analogy”  (pp.  89-91)
Feb. 11 – Feb. 20               The Identity Theory
  • K: Chapter 3
  • R: J.J.C. Smart, “Sensations and Brain Processes”  (pp. 169-176)
  • R: Jerome Schaffer, “Mental Events and the Brain” (pp. 177-179)
  • R: D.M. Armstrong, “A Causal Theory of Mind”  (pp. 181-188) [skipped]
  • R: Keith Campbell,  from “Central State Materialism”  (pp. 189-196)
Feb 25 – March 6              Functionalism
  • K: Chapter 4 and Chapter 5
  • H: Ned Block, "What is Functionalism?"  [recommended]
  • R: David Lewis, “Mad Pain and Martian Pain”  (pp.  229-234)
  • R: Ned Block, “Troubles with Functionalism”  (pp. 211-227)
March 9 – March 16         Spring Break  (No Class)
March 18 – March 20       Eliminative Materialism
  • H: Paul Churchland, selection from Matter and Consciousness
  • H: David Bradden-Mitchell & Frank Jackson, selection from Philosophy of Mind and Cognition  [recommended]

 
March 25 – April 1           Minimal Materialism and Qualia
  • K: “Supervenience, Dependence, and Minimal Physicalism” (pp. 9-13)
  • K: Chapter 7
  • R: Frank Jackson, “What Mary Didn’t Know”  (pp. 392-394)
  • R: David Lewis, “Postscript: Knowing What It’s Like”  (pp. 234-235)
  • R: Thomas Nagel, “Knowing What Its Like To Be a Bat”  (pp. 422-428)

 
April 3 – April 10             Strong Artificial Intelligence
April 14 – April 18         Juries    (No Class)
April 22 – May 5           Externalism and Mental Content
  • K: Chapter 8
  • R: Tyler Burge, selections from “Individualism and the Mental”  (pp. 538-542; 555-561)
  • H: John Heil, “Privileged Access”
  • H: Paul Boghosian, “What the Externalist Knows A Priori”