LPHIL5234 Philosophy of Mind Course Descriptor

Course Overview

This course introduces students to foundational concepts, problems, and theories in the philosophy of mind. Questions covered might include some of the following: what, if anything, is the mind, and how does it relate to the body? What is the nature of a mental state, such as a qualitative sensation (e.g. pain) or a propositional attitude (e.g. belief)? What is consciousness? Can there be mental causation, and if so, how? Is there an asymmetry between our knowledge of our own minds and those of others?

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Employability Skills

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assignment briefs, discussion boards) to orientate and engage students in their studies.

The scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course are:

Interactive lectures/seminars

40 scheduled hours – typically including induction, consolidation or revision, and assessment activity hours.

• Version 1:all sessions in the same sized group

OR

• Version 2: most of the sessions in larger groups; some of the sessions in smaller groups

Faculty hold regular ‘office hours’, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups. 

Students are to attend and participate in all the scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and independent study.

Indicative total learning hours for this course: 150

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.

Summative Assessments

Further information about the assessments can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is for a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• Braddon-Mitchell, D., and F. Jackson. 2007. Philosophy of Mind and Cognition: an Introduction, 2 nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Byrne, D., and M. Kolbel. 2010. Arguing About Language. London: Routledge.
• Chalmers, D. 2002. Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings. Oxford: OUP. Kemp, G. 2013. What is this Thing Called Philosophy of Language? London: Routledge.
• Journals: Burge, T. 1992. ‘Philosophy of Language and Mind: 1950-1990’, The Philosophical Review 101 (1): 3-51
• Electronic Resources: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy plato.stanford.edu

Indicative Topics

Note: Comprehensive and current topics for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative topics provided below is used as a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• Dualism and behaviourism
• Identity theory and functionalism
• Anomalous monism and mental causation
• Intentionality and propositional attitudes
• Meaning
• Externalism and anti-individualism

Version History