Text

    D.M. Rosenthal (ed.), The Nature of Mind (Oxford University Press, pb).
 

Instructor's contact information

    Office hours:  Wednesdays 1:15 - 3:15, or by appointment; Austin 317.

    E-mail: ujanel@isis.unc.edu.

    Web site: www.unc.edu/~ujanel.
 

Written assignments

    There will be four short papers (4-5 pages) during the semester, due on February 5, March 4, April 1, and April 22.  Topics will be of your own choosing; I will pass around lists of suggestions.  If you like, you may (once) substitute one 9-10-page paper for two of the shorter ones.
    There will be a final examination; its weight is negotiable.
 

Syllabus

January 13, 15:  Introduction to the main issues.  Cartesian Dualism.  Reading (during class): Passages from Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy (Rosenthal selection 1).

January 20, 22:  Dualism and Behaviorism.  Reading: Remaining Descartes selections (1); Locke excerpt (2); Ryle (4); Strawson (5).  Suggested: Matthews (6), Ryle (47).

January 27, 29:  The Identity Theory.  Reading: Putnam (16); Smart (17); Shaffer (18); Armstrong (19); Lewis (22); Campbell (20).

February 3, 5:  Functionalism.  Reading: Putnam (21); Block (23).  Paper #1 due.

February 10, 12:  Intentionality.  Reading: Chisholm (31); Quine (32); Fodor (35); Dennett (54).  Suggested: Quine (33), Chisholm (34).

February 17, 19:  Instrumentalism regarding intentionality. Reading: Dennett (36); Dennett (62).

February 24, 26:  Methodological solipsism. Reading: Fodor et al. (53).  Suggested: Burge (57), Loar (58).

March 2, 4:  Computationalism and the Chinese Room. Reading: Searle et al. (55).  Paper #2 due.

March 9, 11:  Eliminativism.  Reading: Stich (60); Churchland (61).  Suggested: Feyerabend (28), Quine (30).

Spring Break (wine, significant others, and song).

March 23, 25:  Psychosemantics.  Reading: Dretske (37).

March 30, April 1:  Phenomenal character.  Reading: Shoemaker (43).  Paper #3 due.

April 6, 8:  “What it’s like” and the Knowledge Argument. Reading: Nagel (46); Jackson (42).

April 13, 15:  “Qualia” strictly so called. Reading: Chisholm (40); Jackson (41)   Suggested: Peacocke (44), Sellars (45).

April 20, 22:  Commissurotomy and identity. Reading: Nagel (48).  Paper #4 due.

Final exam, Thursday, April 29, 11:00 - 1:30.