PHIL 20208 is a philosophy course focusing on the philosophy of mind. As a philosophy course, we will examine the philosophical positions and arguments our philosophers offer. As a course that focuses on the philosophy of mind, we will mainly explore the nature of the mind and its relationship with the body. Successful completion of this course will enable students to:

• Understand some central topics in the philosophy of mind, including the nature of the mind, its relationship with the body and the brain, the nature of personal identity, and a few other related philosophical topics.

• Improve their ability to articulate, analyze, evaluate, and criticize philosophical arguments in discussion and writing.

• Develop their skills in a cooperative philosophical discussion that aims at the shared goal of better understanding the texts, positions, and arguments.

• Attendance: We meet twice a week, but each time we focus on different topics. If you miss class, you will miss some critical discussions, and the rest of us will miss your contributions. That said, I realize that even the most diligent students have to miss a class on occasion due to illness or some other emergency. Please notify me if you have such an issue.

• Participation: While there will most likely be a lecture component in every class meeting, your discussion will also drive each meeting to a significant degree. So, your participation constitutes a significant portion of your course grade. Active participation includes things like attentively listening, asking questions, offering supporting evidence for someone’s claim, and even clarifying what someone else has said. Of course, not everyone is equally comfortable talking in front of the class. If that is you, then talk with me, and we will work on ways to help you participate in class, but potentially also outside of class.

• Preparation: Because participation in discussion is central to this course, it is important that you come to the class prepared: carefully read the required texts, take notes on them, and formulate questions about them for the discussion.

• Bi-Weekly Assignments: The assignment is designed to help you stay engaged with the reading by having you review the argument and keep a critical eye open for things you might disagree with or questions you might have. Each assignment will include three questions regarding the readings covered during that period. One question will be required, and you may choose one of the remaining two to answer. The assignments should be manageable if you have done the readings and participated actively in class. A total of five assignments will be given throughout the semester, and only your four highest scores will count toward your final grade.

• Term Paper: You will write a research paper of approximately 12 double-spaced pages (around 3500 words, not including the bibliography) due by 9 p.m. on December 12. Writing a research paper is a process that includes exploring the field and literature, identifying an appropriately focused topic, gathering suitable secondary literature, creating an annotated bibliography, formulating a thesis, gathering evidence and counter-evidence for your thesis, drafting the paper, consulting with others, and rewriting your paper. If you already feel daunted by the length, don’t worry—to assist you in this process, you will have a set of weekly tasks to complete during the second half of the course, each designed to guide you through a specific stage of the project. During the final weeks of the semester, you will also have a chance to present your project and gather feedback from other members of the class.

See the Syllabus