The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul

2 July 2003 present and discuss some of the fascinating philosophical problems that are thrown up by cognitive science and cognate disciplines show that the best way in which to approach a philosophical problem is by using an anti-justificationist methodology encourage students to construct their own theories and to appreciate the value of pluralism, Feyerabend's principle of proliferation and Bartley's pancritical rationalism identify some of the key philosophical problems thrown up by work being done in cognitive science and related discipline Continuous Assessment tackle a philosophical problem using an anti-justification methodology Continuous Assessment appreciate the importance of pluralism, proliferation and pancritical rationalism Continuous Assessment distinguish between philosophical problems and other sorts of problem Continuous Assessment use an anti-justificationist methodology Continuous Assessment e evaluate proposed theories within cognitive science Continuous Assessment pick an interesting philosophical problem to investigate Continuous Assessment criticise a theory by showing that it fails to solve any problem whatsoever Continuous Assessment criticise a theory by showing that it fails to solve a problem adequately Continuous Assessment avoid asking what-is questions Continuous Assessment put the method of multiple working hypotheses into practice Continuous Assessment appreciate the importance of the belief-filter component of an android Continuous Assessment appreciate the complexity of the task of designing the belief-filter component of an android Continuous Assessment avoid the dangers of ultimate commitment Continuous Assessment distinguish between justification and criticism Continuous Assessment appreciate the errors involved in the strategy of attacking foundations Continuous Assessment recognise when the strategy of attacking foundations is being used Continuous Assessment distinguish between good and bad methodology Continuous Assessment

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Ten 1 hr weekly lectures.

Continuous assessment (100%).

The continuous assessment consists of a 3000 word essay.

Some of the fascinating philosophical problems thrown up by cognitive science and related disciplines will be presented. Philosophical problems are notoriously difficult to solve, so a methodology will be presented to enable students to tackle them. Students will be shown the advantages of pluralism, proliferation and pancritical rationalism.

Introduction: assessment; style of presentation; philosophical background; methodology; content and topics; treat the essay as a mini-project; possible case studies to be used throughout the module (`Can computers think?', `Is the Turing test adequate to determine whether computers can think?', `Can physical systems think?', `Can Chinese rooms think?', `Can connectionist networks think?', `Can computers think in images?', `Do computers have to be conscious to think?', `Are thinking computers mathematically possible?'). Disciplines: why what-is questions are best avoided; academic disciplines are useful for administrators but not researchers; essentialism and nominalism; theories and larger units (scientific research programmes, paradigms, research traditions); the computational-representational understanding of mind; the CRUM research programme; metaphysical research programmes. Philosophy: rationale for studying; methodological rules; bad methodology (what-is questions, definition, premature implementation, induction); good methodology (nominalism, proliferation, anti-justificationism, thought-out implementation, the method of multiple working hypotheses and pluralism); background; epistemology (the bucket theory of the mind, the belief-filter component of an android, testimony). Definitions: terminology, what-is questions; essentialism; real; abbreviatory; bad advice 'Define your terms!'; etymological fallacy; family resemblance; Popper's table of ideas; infinite regress. Problems: psychology and AI; inconsistencies; facts; difficulties; questions; search problems; philosophical (change, personal identity, body-mind, other minds, universals, testimony, free will); Tye's (ownership, mechanism, phenomenal causation, duplicates); epistemological (justificationist, anti-justificationist, belief-filter component); non-philosophical (practical, theoretical, historical, mathematical); methodological advice; erotetic narratology. Philosophy of science and creativity: problems as starting points; Popper's tetradic schema; creativity (Hadamard, Evans); context of discovery and criticism; the myth of induction. Explanation and prediction: covering law model; poor methodology; falsification as good methodology: `We predict by reference to our present theories; we learn by refuting our present theories' (Bartley). Philosophy of mind: mind-body problem; Popper's three worlds; Tye's ten problems of consciousness; functionalism; closed-world assumption; hierarchical organisation of reality; reduction; emergence; upward and downward causation; evolution. Belief-filter component: ultimate goal of AI; philosophical problem of testimony; rationalism (uncritical or comprehensive, pancritical); Reid's principle of credulity; Price's principle of trust; the strategy of attacking foundations and Searle's use of; how not to win an argument (Gilbert); infinite regress; ultimate commitment; irrationalism and relativism. The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett (editors) Penguin Books 1982 thought-provoking essays and stories Knowledge and the Body-mind Problem Karl Popper Routledge 1994 relationship between mind and body; three worlds; dualism The Retreat to Commitment (second edition) W. W. Bartley III Open Court 1984 ultimate commitment; anti-justificationism; infinite regress; difference between justificationist and anti-justificationist criticism The Self and its Brain K. R. Popper and J. Eccles Routledge 1977 relationship between mind and body; three worlds; upward and downward causation; dualism Consciousness Explained Daniel C. Dennett Penguin 1993 current issues Objective Knowledge Karl Popper OUP 1975 three worlds; bucket theory of the mind; tetradic schema; evolutionary epistemology Unended Quest Karl Popper Routledge 1992 three worlds; tetradic schema; evolutionary epistemology anti-essentialist exhortation; table of idea Proofs and Refutations Imre Lakatos CUP 1976 Criticism of Euclidean methodology; anti-justificationism The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence Margaret Boden (editor) OUP 1990 current issues; overview of the subject The Philosophy of Artificial Life Margaret Boden (editor) OUP 1996 current issues; overview of the subject The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences Robert A. Wilson and Frank C. Keil (editors) MIT 1999 encyclopaedia A Companion to the Philosophy of Mind Samuel Guttenplan (editor) Blackwell 1995 current issues A Companion to Cognitive Science William Bechtel and George Graham (editors) Blackwell 1998 up-to-date guide Toward a Psychology of Being (third edition) Abraham Maslow Wiley 1998 the importance of peak experiences to creativity Testimony: A Philosophical Study C. A. J. Coady OUP 1992 testimony; belief-filter component Android Epistemology Kenneth M. Ford, Clark Glymour and Patrick J. Hayes (editors) MIT Press 1995 fun collection of essays Ten Problems of Consciousness Michael Tye MIT Press 1995 interesting problems

Further information about this module, including any last-minute changes, corrections and alterations to the information contained above, can be found on my Philosophy of Cognitive Science module web page .