THE PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
PHI3320 (3 Semester Hours)
Spring 2008; Class meets in Building 11/room 223 on MWF at 12:00-12:50
Dr. Nicholas P. Power
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is intended to familiarize the student with the major philosophical issues surrounding minds, mental
phenomena, and their place in an objective world. We will draw upon a broad array of thinkers--from philosophers, ancient
and contemporary, to psychologists, neurophysiologists, linguists, and cognitive scientists--and examine a broad range of
issues involving the mind. Though our understanding of the brain is expanding at a remarkable rate, it is arguably the single
greatest object of mystery in the Universe. There remains no widely accepted account of how "soggy gray matter" gives rise
to what it apparently does give rise to: the pleasures felt while listening to song; the decisions made while writing an essay;
the motives to act; actions themselves; self-consciousness. Some now say that we never will fully understand the mind; that
these experienced phenomena are unique in all of nature in that they can only be understood from a certain point of view, the
point of view of that thing experiencing them. How can subjective experience be conceived so as to fall under the objective
scrutiny of science? How have our views of the mind, the soul, and thought changed through the history of western thought?
How does the mind represent the external world; is the medium of thought language-like, pictorial, or both? Is our everyday
conception of the mental realm somehow internally flawed? Should it be overhauled, or even replaced, by a more scientific
one? Many major philosophical movements have been motivated by questions such as these, and many more have foundered
upon them. The student will become familiar with some of these positions, as well as with other approaches from nonphilosophical sources to the study of the self, consciousness, perception, emotion, cognition and memory.
No background in philosophy, logic, or psychology will be presumed. Since this course satisfies a Gordon Rule
Writing Requirement (see the University Catalog for information on this) you will write at least 6,000 words for credit in the
course. See the COURSE REQUIREMENTS section below for how this requirement will be met.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
I. In terms of content, and hence knowledge and understanding, successful students of this course will gain:
1. Familiarity with the writings, classical and contemporary, of the major western philosophers to study the self and mind:
Plato, Descartes, Wittgenstein, Jerry Fodor, etc.
2. Familiarity with the central theories and arguments in the fields of metaphysics and epistemology as they apply to the
philosophy of mind.
3. Some appreciation of the wide range of techniques of philosophical reasoning, particularly conceptual analysis, as it
applies to notions we have of “the self,” “thought,” “feeling” and so forth.
II. In addition to this, there are general philosophical skills which students will gain and or sharpen:
1. An ability to identify underlying issues in various debates within anthropology, psychology, and biology, and of course
within the history of philosophy itself.
2. Grasp of some philosophical problems regarding the mind and its relation to the body, mentioning arguments for or against
proposed solutions.
3. Understanding of the importance of careful interpretation of a variety of texts.
4. Familiarity with the use of specialized philosophical terminology.
5. Awareness of the nature of sound arguments and logical fallacies, an appreciation of how generalizations can be supported
or weakened by detailed discussion, and greater facility with many tools of logic.
III. Also, as the student will gain some experience in engaging in philosophical discourse, students will be better
able than before to do the following:
1. Ability to conduct arguments about matters of the highest moment without recourse to insult or susceptibility to take
offence.
2. Willingness to evaluate opposing arguments, to formulate and consider the best arguments for different views and to
identify the weakest elements of the most persuasive view.
3. Ability to cross traditional subject boundaries, examining the limitations and virtues of other disciplines and practices, and
recognizing philosophical doctrines in unfamiliar places
4. Ability to apply philosophical skills and techniques to issues arising both in everyday life, as well as in future academic
courses.
COURSE SCHEDULE/READING LIST
This is subject to change as we proceed.
Topic 1: A Historical Introduction to the Mind-Body Problem
Week 1: Introductory matters; Plato (Ch. 1 and reading)
Week 2: Aristotle (Ch. 2 and readings)
Week 3: Ontological Theories Part I: Cartesian Dualism (Ch. 3 and readings)
Week 4: Ontological Theories Part II: Dualism Assessed (Chs. 4 & 5 and readings)
Week 5: Ontological Theories Part III: Classical Materialism (Ch. 6 with readings)
Week 6: Ontological Theories Part III: Modern Identity Theories (Ch. 9 with Smart and Kripke readings)
***Mid-term Opportunity will be follow the close of this topic, around October 6***
Topic 2: Mental Content and the Computer Model of the Mind
Week 7: Logical Behaviorism and Wittgenstein (Ch. 7 & 8 and Hempel and Ryle readings)
Week 8: Artificial Intelligence (Ch. 10 and Searle reading)
Week 9: Functionalism; (Ch. 11 and Putnam reading)
Week 10: The Computational Theory of Thought (Ch. 14 and Fodor (solo) readings in Chs.11 and 14)
Week 11: Folk Psychology and Eliminative Materialism (Ch. 12 and Churchland readings)
Topic 3: Consciousness
Week 12: The Subjective Features of Experiences (Ch. 13: Nagel and Jackson readings)
Week 13: Solutions to the so-called “Hard Problem of Consciousness” (Ch. 13: Dennett and Flanagan readings)
Week 14: Alternative approaches to consciousness (readings to be announced)
Week 15: Loose ends.
***Our Final Exam is scheduled for Friday, May 2, at 11:00 sharp***
COURSE REQUIREMENTS/EVALUATION
Your grade for the course will be determined by six separate letter grades scored from 1-100, on a scale where a total of 96100 points will result in an A, 90-95 in an A-; 89-87 a B+, 86-83 a B, 82-80 a B-; 79-77 a C+, 76-73 a C, 72-70 a C-; 69-67 a
D+, 66-63 a D, 62-60 a D, and 0-59 in an F and where the six letter grades (and 6 x 100 available points) are distributed as
follows:
1. 50% 3 essays on assigned reading materials (@ 100 points each) Two of these will be written in-class on the
major philosophers we cover in the course—the first one, on Descartes, will be given during Week 4; the
second, on consciousness, during Week 14 (though this calendar may change slightly). They will require that
you be very familiar with those views and arguments of the subject which we have discussed in class, and will
require that you be able to plan an organized essay and think on your feet. If you have missed class, or don’t
understand the material, you will not do well on this requirement. The third essay, due the last day of classes,
will allow you to choose any book from our library holdings written on the philosophy of mind or related fields
and write up a 3-4 page “critical review” of it. They will all be graded according to the rubric given below. (A
powerpoint slideshow of notes based on any chapter of the text can substitute for the third essay, with my prior
permission.)
2.
40% Mid-Term and Final Exams (non-cumulative) (@ 100 points each)
3.
20% Class Participation (100 points, 45 points of which will be based on ‘homework’ as on a weekly basis you
will answer a question or two based on the readings and the rest on attendance)
(Graduate students will consult with me over their additional requirements.)
Policies and Procedures that affect your grade include the following:

Late work is unacceptable at this stage of the game. An essay’s grade will drop one-third of a grade for each
calendar day it is late. Homework need not be turned in after the date it is due, as it is designed to prepare you to
contribute to that meeting’s discussion.

Attendance is mandatory; roll will be taken at each class meeting. More than five missed class meetings will result
in a very bad headache, dizziness, bouts of depression, hair loss, and a recommendation that you withdraw from the
class. On ten randomly chosen occasions, your absence will cost you 5 attendance points. Make it a priority to make
it to class on time, so as not to disrupt your conspecifics. This is a morning class and your lifestyle may prevent you
from having sufficient rest to stay awake throughout the class. If so, then leave; do not fall asleep in my class, as this
gives a bad impression to your mates and to me. Should you sleep, you will first be warned (and embarrassed) then
you, for a second offense, will lose 10 attendance points.

Students with disabilities should let me know of their needs as soon as possible in the semester.

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged, or insufficiently acknowledged, use of another’s ideas and/or their expression.
This applies to equally to borrowing from books and articles, notes taken/works prepared in other classes, or from
the work of other students. Whenever an idea is not the result of the student’s own primary research and thinking
and is not reasonably understood to already be part of the public domain, its source must be properly identified in a
footnote or other format; otherwise, plagiarism results. Plagiarism combines theft with fraud, and within the
academy, no offense is more destructive, hence no offense is penalized more. At my discretion, I may fail you for
that assignment, for the course, and I may recommend that you be suspended from UWF. At my discretion, I may
fail you for that assignment, for the course, and I may recommend that you be suspended from UWF. I take this
issue very seriously. You should know and abide by the UWF's plagiarism policies (see your student handbook
under “Expectations for Academic Conduct” and available online at http://uwf.edu/uwfMain/stuHandbk/). My
department prosecutes about 10 cases of this per term, and I have seen to it that the worst violators are suspended
from UWF.

Each and every policy of mine is, I promise you, executed fairly and with a sincere appreciation of the travails of
today’s UWF student; don’t hesitate to communicate to me any situations that arise during the course of the term
which may affect your grade.

My web address (http://uwf.edu/npower) has a link to some web sites in contemporary philosophy of mind.
TEXTBOOK
1. A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind: Peter A. Morton, Broadview Press, 1997.
INSTRUCTOR
Office: Bldg. 50; Rm. 231A; Hours: TBA; Phone #: Wk: 474-2677; E-mail: npower@uwf.edu; Web-page:
http://uwf.edu/npower
ESSAY RUBRIC
Each of your in-class essays is worth 100 points and will be graded according to the following criteria. (A version of this
document, with appropriate scores added, will be attached to your essay when it is returned to you.)
I. Content (overall worth 75 points):
1. (worth 25 points) The student answered the questions by appropriately applying the most relevant disciplinary
concepts and terms discussed in class; that is, the essay demonstrates a familiarity with the meanings of the key
words relevant to .
2. (worth 25 points) The student selected and described appropriate contexts or frameworks from within the history
of philosophy to use in answering the question; that is, he/she didn’t neglect any obvious philosophical claims or
ideas relevant to the question.
3. (worth 25 points) The student critically engaged the appropriate aspects of the philosophical problem or theory in
answering the question, and presented, in a charitable manner, the view’s flawed claims or negative consequences.
II. Stylistics (overall worth 25 points)
1. (worth 15 points) The paper is logically organized, with an apparent, easy-to-follow structure; it stays focused on
the question, and answers it definitively; with transitions between major sub-parts or sub-topics.
2. (worth 10 points) The paper follows the conventions of grammar and punctuation, uses a proper citation style (if
appropriate) using unified paragraphs to express unified thoughts, and contains very few errors in word choice and
spelling as well as in the use of commas/apostrophes/etc.
Based on your score on these measures, your paper will receive a total score and an attendant letter grade whereby:
“A” 90-100
Student shows clear mastery of the topics relevant to the question and as they are presented in the text and
lectures.
“B” 80-89
Student shows many strengths in communicating the content of the topic but there was some room for
improvement in concept accuracy, framework use, or style.
“C” 70-79
Student demonstrated both strengths and weaknesses in communicating the content of the topic.
“D” 60-69
Student’s communication of the content was problematic although some competence was evidence in
concept accuracy, framework use, or conventional writing.
“F” 0-59
Student was unable to use appropriate terminology, apply disciplinary frameworks, and/or write in
acceptable disciplinary conventions.
CRITICAL REVIEW ESSAY GUIDELINES
You may write on any book/manuscript/or full-length article within the philosophy of mind, broadly conceived and
including works in philosophical psychology, works in the history of ideas dealing with the figures found in our textbook,
and works of non-western traditions of thought relevant to the philosophy of mind. Your book must be approved by me, IN
WRITING, so don’t write an essay before sending a written or e-mail of your proposal. Your essay must achieve three
objectives: (1) relate the main thesis/theses or ideas or themes or arguments of the book, in a way that an educated nonexpert—say, one of you classmates—would understand; (2) compare and contrast the book to others in its historical and
philosophical context in order to “contextually locate” the work and show, if possible, the major influences on the book as
well as its impact on the field; (3) critically engage the book, by choosing one or two main ideas (or implications of ideas)
that you or others have found fault with, presenting them, and going on to present a possible response on behalf of the author.
In place of a title, begin your review by quoting, word-for-word, the exact publication data (author, title, publishing company,
place and date of publication) of the book you are writing on. You are writing an essay, so that you should have (a) an
introduction, which clearly sets forth the major goal of the essay, (b) a main body (using quotes from the text to support your
main points), and (c) a conclusion.
Your essay must be between 900 and 1200 words long, typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins on all sides, typed in
a standard font and size. (In that case, each page equals about 300 words.) It should have a title, but no separate title page or
binder or folder or cover-sheet. Also, you don’t need a reference or works cited page, since the only source you need to use is
the book itself but (of course) be sure to cite the source of all quotes or ideas, so that the reader is clear as to where your
words and ideas are coming from. If you use any expressions, phrases, sentences or passages from the book, you must use
quotation marks and a parenthetical citation like this:
Spinoza thinks the idea of freedom is natural. As he says: “an infant believes of its own free will it desires milk” (p.
109).
On the other hand, if you merely paraphrase an author’s ideas—that is, you put his or her ideas in your own words—then you
don’t have to use quotation marks, but end the paraphrase with a reference to the source:
Spinoza thinks that people naturally believe that their decisions are freely chosen (see p. 109).
Knowing how to quote correctly is very important, as the main reason people do badly on the writing portion of the class is
due to plagiarism, the incorrect use of another’s ideas.
Whichever book you choose, your paper needs to demonstrate a familiarity with, and a critical analysis of, the main
themes of the book. Quotes from the book, used judiciously, are a necessary part of this. Remember to define any technical
terms you use. You are writing an essay, so that you should have (a) an introduction, which clearly sets forth the major goal
of the essay, (b) a main body (using quotes from the text to support your main points), and (c) a conclusion.
Your paper will be graded on the following criteria, in descending order of importance: Clarity: How well would
the average reader (say, one of your classmates) understand the overall content and importance of the book you chose?
Cogency: How well do you focus, and stay on focus, on the central questions within the topic and avoid getting sidetracked
by peripheral issues? Insight & Originality: What evidence is there for an independent and critical examination of the book?
Mechanics: Is your grammar, organization, citations, and spelling, adequate to the task?