PHILO 268 – Philosophical Psychology – Instructor: Ben Abelson
Course Description: This course will examine the dynamic relationship between two distinct but related fields of inquiry: Philosophy of Mind and Psychology. The purposes of the course will be first of all, to understand the history of the development of philosophy of mind and psychology in relation to one another. Secondly, to become acquainted with the foundational and methodological concerns that occupy philosophers of psychology. Thirdly, we will examine ways in which empirical psychological research has affected the way philosophers of mind ask and attempt to answer the perennial questions of their own field, including those concerning the relation between mind and body, free will, personal identity, and the problem of other minds. Finally, we will take a look at the major topics in the burgeoning study of cognitive science, which brings together strands of philosophy of mind, psychology, neurobiology, primatology, and computer science in the search for a comprehensive understanding of the mind, brain, and behavior.