This course will jointly address major topics in the traditional philosophy of mind and questions created by recent developments in artificial intelligence: what is mind? What is the relationship of a mind to the physical world, including the brain? What is consciousness and self-consciousness? What are the definitions of mental states and processes, such as perception, desire, belief, emotion, reasoning, and action, and their relationship? Can computers be constructed to think or behave like human beings, or to have consciousness? Readings will come from classical sources, such as Descartes, as well as contemporary literature in philosophy, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence.
This course will jointly address major topics in the traditional philosophy of mind and questions created by recent developments in artificial intelligence: what is mind? What is the relationship of a mind to the physical world, including the brain? What is consciousness and self-consciousness? What are the definitions of mental states and processes, such as perception, desire, belief, emotion, reasoning, and action, and their relationship? Can computers be constructed to think or behave like human beings, or to have consciousness? Readings will come from classical sources, such as Descartes, as well as contemporary literature in philosophy, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence.
