Minds And Machines

AY2016/2017 Semester 2

What kind of thing is the mind? Can a computer be a mind? If we build an incredibly complicated and a powerful computer that does everything a mind does, would it be a mind? Can a computer be conscious? These are the kinds of questions that philosophers of mind have asked, and have attempted to answer. This class will cover the basic positions that philosophers have taken with regard to the mind, such as dualism, behaviourism, and functionalism. It will further consider the computational theory of mind in some detail, as well as critiques of this theory, and then explore the issues of consciousness and intentionality.