PHIL2260 Seminar in Mind and Language

Announcements

General information

• Course description: The philosophy of mind and language occupies a central place within analytic philosophy. This course provides an advanced introduction to selected topics in the area, through intensive reading of recent publications. The course will be conducted mainly as a seminar, and students are required to give presentations and to participate in discussion. This format is intended to help students deepen their understanding of analytical and argumentative skills in philosophy. Topics might include: the semantics of natural language, philosophical foundation of linguistics, consciousness, philosophical issues relating to mental representation. Assessment: 100% coursework.
• Tuesday 10:30-12:20 CPD-G.02 philosophy seminar room (10/F Run Run Shaw Tower) (no meeting during reading week)
• If you take this course, it is essential that you do the required reading BEFORE coming to class.
• Some general information you should know, including writing guidelines.

Announcements

• [28 Feb] There is no meeting on Tuesday 22 April 2014.
• We will be moving the seminar to the philosophy seminar room after Chinese New Year.

Topics

The readings marked [#] are background readings which you might skim and quickly read through without worrying too much if there are parts that you do not understand. The rest are required readings that you should read more carefully. We might not have time to go through all the topics listed here.

1. Introduction
2. Proposition - The substitution problem
   • Sections 1 to 5 of http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/propositions
   • http://fas-philosophy.rutgers.edu/jking/papers/king_2002_designating_propositions.pdf
   • [#] http://semantics.univ-paris1.fr/pdf/propositions%5B2%5D.pdf
3. Knowing how and knowing that 1
   • Paul Snowdon (2004) "Knowing how and knowing that: A distinction reconsidered". Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society New Series, Vol. 104, pp. 1-29.
   • Stanley & Williamson (2001) "Knowing how". Journal of Philosophy, 98 (8), pp. 411-444.
   • [#] http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/knowledge-how/
4. Knowing how and knowing that 2
   • http://web.gc.cuny.edu/philosophy/faculty/devitt/Methodology%20Knowing%20How.pdf
   • [#] http://ndpr.nd.edu/news/29390-know-how-2/
5. Knowing how and knowing that 3
   • Book Symposium on Know How. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research. November 2012, Volume 85, Issue 3.
6. Cognitive phenomenology 1
   • http://www.philosophy.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/21874/Cognitive_Phenomenology_web.pdf
7. Cognitive phenomenology 2
   • http://faculty.philosophy.umd.edu/pcarruthers/The%20Question%20of%20Cognitive%20Phenomenology.pdf
8. The HOT theory of consciousness 1
   • http://www.summer12.isc.uqam.ca/page/docs/readings/Lau-Hakwan/Lau-Rosenthal-Empirical-support-for-higher-order-theories-of-conscious-awareness.pdf
   • [#] http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consciousness-higher/
9. The HOT theory of consciousness 2
   • http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/faculty/block/papers/HOPHOT.pdf See also the replies in the same issue
   • http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/faculty/block/papers/Rosenthalreply.pdf
10. The explanatory gap 1
    • https://www.academia.edu/841347/What_Exactly_is_the_Explanatory_Gap
11. The explanatory gap 2
    • http://www.u.arizona.edu/~arico/PsychOriginsDualism_final_.pdf
12. Singularity
    • http://consc.net/papers/singularity.pdf
    • http://consc.net/papers/singreply.pdf

Assessment: 100% coursework

To be confirmed.

• 10% Notes - You need to produce a set of your own notes on the readings and the topics discussed in the course.
• 10% Participation in class discussion
• 10% Presentation
• 25% Essay #1 due 18 March (aroun 1000 words)
• 45% Essay #2 due 20 May (around 2000 words)