Philosophy of mind

The course aims to provide a systematic introduction to the philosophy of mind - to its main questions and to the tools by which such questions can be successfully addressed.
Key learning objectives include:
- a good understanding of the mind-body problem (i.e. what is the relation between the mind and the brain?);
- a good understanding of the problem of cognitive architecture (i.e.: how does the mind work? How are different mental states related to one another, and to external stimuli, so as to produce behaviour?);
- a good understanding of the empirically informed methodology by which philosophers can address the three problems just mentioned (i.e. of how conceptual analysis and empirical findings can be fruitfully integrated in the study of human cognition).

By the end of the course, students are expected to acquire a good knowledge and understanding of the key questions in the philosophy of mind, as well as a capacity to critically engage with such questions. This will allow students to see how philosophers and cognitive scientists can fruitfully interact in advancing the study of the human mind and cognition.
More specifically, this will involve a good knowledge and understanding of the following key topics:
- The mind-body problem;
- Dualist, physicalist, functionalist, and eliminativist solutions to the mind-body problem;
- Folk-psychology, scientific psychology, and the interface problem;
- The problem of cognitive architecture: beliefs, desires, and other causally relevant mental states.