Garson's Fall 1996 Graduate Seminar

PHIL 6395 (Section: 09960)
Room: 512-AH
Meeting Time: 2:30-5:30PM W

Philosophy of Mind

A Study of central issues in the philosophy of mind, with special emphasis on consciousness. We will look at chapters from Owen Flanagan's Consciousness Reconsidered (CR), Paul Churchland's Matter and Consciousnes (M&C), and Dan Dennett's Consciousness Explained (CE).

Course Bibliography

Syllabus Aug 21. Introduction
Aug 28. Formulating the Problems and Strategies for Answering Them
Tye Ch. 1, CR Ch. 1, M&C Ch. 2
Sep 4. How to Explain Consciousness
CR Ch. 2, CE Ch. 2, Chalmers 'Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness'
Sep 11. The Astonishing (Naturalist) Hypothesis
M&C Ch. 7, CR Ch. 3, Zuboff 'The Story of a Brain'
Sep 18. Zombies, Inverted Qualia, etc.
CR Ch. 4-4.4, Chalmers Ch. 3, Churchland 'The Rediscovery of Light'
Sep 25. Naturalism and Subjective Knowledge
CR Ch. 5, CE Ch. 14.1-4.2, Van Gulick 'Understanding the Phenomenal Mind'
Oct 2. Qualia Disqualified?
CR Ch. 4.5, CE Ch. 11-12
Oct 9. Dismantling the Cartesian Theater
CE Ch. 5-6, CR Ch. 8
Oct 16. Consciousness Regained?
CR Ch. 9-10
Oct 23. Conscious Causation
CR Ch. 7, Van Gulick 'Who's in Charge Here? And WhoÕs Doing All the Work?'
Oct 30. To Be Arranged
Nov 6, 13, 20, 27 Student Presentations