PHIL 270 Minds and Machines
- Level 2 or above
None
one-way Exclusions
- Lectures
- Clark, A. 2014. Mindware: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Science, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Handouts (marked DL in reading calendar and available on class site for download)
Instructor: Nancy Salay
In this course we will survey the contribution of philosophy to the cognitive sciences. Our focus will be on providing an holistic understanding of the various perspectives brought by each of the disciplines, in particular, cognitive psychology, AI, neuroscience, and systems biology, through an investigation of how the various approaches ultimately frame and answer our questions about mind. The course will begin with an overview of the traditional themes in the philosophy of mind, but the bulk of the term will be spent investigating contemporary studies of cognition, both mainstream and embodied, from a philosophical perspective. The topics we will cover throughout the term include, but are not limited to, the following: formal systems; physical symbol systems; deep learning networks; A-life; emergent systems; dynamical systems; cognitive linguistics; embodied cognition; enactivism.
Learning Outcomes
Assessments
Assessments
45%: 2 papers (22.5% each) (see separate instructions)
15%: 1 test in-class
20%: 1 group presentation (group mark; see separate instructions)
10%: 5 Posts/Discussions (2% each)
10%: Participation/Feedback