PHIL205 - Mind, Body and Consciousness

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

PHIL100 Philosophy: the Big Questions or PHIL102 Theories of Human Nature or PHIL104 Introduction to Ethics or PHIL107 Philosophy of World Religions or PHCC102 Being Human or PHCC104 Ethics and the Good Life

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit examines philosophical problems about the nature of the mind, its relationship to the body, and its place in the world. In examining both classical and modern conceptions of soul and mind, and contemporary insights of cognitive science, students examine questions concerning the nature of selfhood, the (ir)reducibility of consciousness to neuro-physiology, and various issues raised by emerging technologies that raise profound questions about the nature and possibilities of mind. In exploring influential perspectives regarding those debates, students are required to develop reasoned positions of their own. In this way, the unit aims both to facilitate students' understanding of some key philosophical theories and debates, as well as to enhance their skills in critical analysis.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - identify and accurately explain some of the central problems and important theories in philosophy of mind (GA5) 

LO2 - critically analyse selected contemporary debates in philosophy of mind, and develop coherent and consistent positions in relation to them (GA4; GA8); 

LO3 - demonstrate appropriate skills in philosophical research, and clear use of philosophically 

LO4 - effective English expression (GA5; GA9). 

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

Content

Topics will include:

• theories concerning the relation between mind, soul and body, such as varieties of dualism, physicalism, dual aspect theory, emergent monism and/or hylemorphism;  
• definitions and theories of consciousness and intentionality;
• philosophical issues arising from recent work in the cognitive or mind sciences. 

In addition, topics such as the following may also be included:

• phenomenological accounts of mind and body;  
• the experience of selfhood and personal identity; 
• philosophical issues arising from the possibilities of artificial intelligence and ‘mind-uploading’;
• mind and language;  
• evolutionary cognitive psychology;
• reason, volition and emotion in mental life; 
• the problem of other minds and the private language argument;
• the notion of the ‘extended mind’;
• mind, death and afterlife.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials and online learning. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment. The unit has been designed as a blend of direct instruction and project learning with a strong collaborative component. The direct instruction ensures that students develop a grounding in understanding basic problems, concepts and arguments in the philosophy of mind (see LO1). The collaborative learning enables the students to apply those concepts and theories critically and reflectively to problems in the field, and this feeds into the achievement of the other aim of the unit concerning the development of philosophical skills of analysis, interpretation and argumentation (see LO2-3). The collaborative context of the unit is focused especially on the weekly tutorial, during which the emphasis is on small group discussion of the weekly readings. Students engage in class discussions, provide written critiques of significant theories, and present their reasoned position on matters at issue, after being introduced to them through readings and lectures.

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy for this unit has been designed to examine students’ understanding of the philosophical issues and theories under consideration, as well as their ability to critically analyse those issues and theories. It does so through a series of three graduated assessment tasks. The first two tasks prepare students for the third and principal task of writing an extended research essay. The two written analysis tasks examine students’ capacity to demonstrate an understanding of key concepts and theories, and to engage critically with some key texts in the field. The research essay examines students’ abilities to research and critically analyse an important issue in the philosophy of mind, and to develop and defend a coherent position of their own in a formally structured argumentative essay. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Chalmers, D. (2010). The Character of Consciousness. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. 

Descartes, R. (2008). Meditations on First Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Fesser, E. (2007). Philosophy of Mind (A Beginner's Guide). (2nd ed). Oxford: Oneworld.  

Flanagan, O.J. (2003). The Problem of the Soul. New York: Basic Books. 

Gallagher, S. and Zahavi, D. (2012). The Phenomenological Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science. London: Routledge.  

Haldane, J. (2002). Mind, Metaphysics and Value in the Thomistic and Analytic Traditions. South Bend IND: University of Notre Dame Press. 

Heil, J. (ed). (2004). Philosophy of Mind: A Guide and Anthology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hofstadter, D and Dennett, D. (eds). (2001). The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self & Soul. New York: Basic Books.

Menary, R. (ed). (2012). The Extended Mind. Cambridge, MA: Bradford.  

Warwick, K. (2011). Artificial Intelligence: The Basics. London: Routledge.