| Course Title: | Mind and Reality | |
| Course Number: | PHIL 355 | |
| Ticket Number: | 13872 |
TR 4:00-5:40 PM, SH 190 |
| Prerequisites: | Completion of the lower division writing requirement and 3 units
of philosophy | |
| Contact information: | Professor Stern Phone: (818) 677-4853 Sierra Tower, Room 508 Office hours: Tu 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, Th 8:00 - 9:00 AM; and by appointment Email: cindy.stern@csun.edu | |
| SCHEDULE | ANNOUNCEMENTS |
Catalog description:
An examination of traditional and contemporary views concerning the mind, such as the nature of consciousness and intentionality, the prospects and limitations of artificial intelligence and psychological explanation, the nature of mental causation, and the relationship between mind and body. Will also include regular sessions on philosophical writing and methodology. Regular written assignments will be required.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will:- describe central questions in philosophy of mind and metaphysics;
- articulate important answers that have been offered to major questions in philosophy of mind and metaphysics, and major disagreements between those answers;
- articulate and evaluate arguments that have been advanced for and against competing positions on central questions in philosophy of mind and metaphysics;
- construct arguments for their own positions on issues in philosophy of mind and metaphysics;
- write and refine organized essays defending their philosophical claims;
- conduct systematic searches for materials appropriate for academic research in philosophy.
Topics Covered:
See http://www.csun.edu/~hcphi003/PHIL355/schedule.html for a schedule of topics, assignments, and tests. The schedule may be adjusted in response to learning outcomes as the semester progresses. Changes will be announced in class and on the class announcements web page ( http://www.csun.edu/~hcphi003/PHIL355/announcements.html) Revisions to the schedule page itself may lag behind these announcements.
mind and metaphysics the ontology of mind (the mind-body problem, and some proposed solutions: Cartesian dualism, identity theory, functionalism, property dualism) mind qualia metaphysics properties: universals and particulars metaphysics causality mind and metaphysics mental causation metaphysics causality metaphysics modality: possible worlds metaphysics persistence: endurantism vs. perdurantism
Required Textbooks:
Heil, John. Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge, 2004. ISBN: 0415283566. Loux, Michael J. Metaphysics: Contemporary Readings. Routledge, 1st or 2d edition.
1st edition: 2001. ISBN-10 0-415-26109-0, ISBN-13 978-0-415-26109-8.
2nd edition: 2008. ISBN-10 0-415-96238-2, ISBN-13 978-0-415-96238-4.
Recommended Textbooks:
Loux, Michael J. Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction, 3rd edition. Routledge, 2006.
ISBN-10 0-415-40134-8, ISBN-13 978-0-415-40134-0. Seech, Zachary. Writing Philosophy Papers. Wadsworth Publishing, either 4th or 5th ed.
4th edition 2003. ISBN-10 0534585272, ISBN-13 9780534585273.
5th edition 2009. ISBN-10 0495506842, ISBN-13 9780495506843. Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. The University of Chicago Press, 2007.
ISBN-10 0-226-82337-7, ISBN-13 978-0-226-82337-9.
Course Requirements and Methods of Evaluation:
Pluses and minuses will be used. Required work will be weighted as follows (subject to adjustment) in determining course grade:Academic integrity:This formula may be adjusted if the number of graded short writing assignments is not sufficiently large for the weight listed above. Any modifications will be announced in class and on the class announcement web page, http://www.csun.edu/~hcphi003/PHIL355/announcements.html.
Attendance and participation in discussion 10% Short writing assignments 30% Midterm paper (thesis statement and paper) 20% Term paper (issue statement, thesis statement, draft, and final paper) 40%
The University is a community with learning as its central purpose. Both the unity of the community and the activity of learning depend upon academic integrity. As a result, I take academic integrity and its breaches seriously. You can expect discovery of a violation to result in the filing of a Student Misconduct Complaint with the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. For information on what constitutes academic dishonesty, and on the possible repercussions of and penalties for acts of academic dishonesty, consult the CSUN Student Conduct Code in the University Catalog or at http://www.csun.edu/anr/soc/studentconduct.html. See details on plagiarism and how to avoid it at http://library.csun.edu/Research_Assistance/plagiarism.html.
Special needs (such as interpreters, note takers, or testing services:
Students with special needs should work with the Center on Disabilities http://www.csun.edu/cod/studentservices/index.php and inform me of any accommodations needed.
Course web pages:
Schedule of assignments http://www.csun.edu/~hcphi003/PHIL355/schedule.html Announcements http://www.csun.edu/~hcphi003/PHIL355/announcements.html
| Last modified July 26, 2009. |
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