This course investigates some key issues about the nature of cognitive processes. We will be looking at questions in three broad areas.

1 - The architecture of the mind: 

• Which of our cognitive capacities are innate and which are learned?

• Are thoughts in a kind of language?

• How can neuron activity tell us about "thinking";

 

2 - The impact of science on our intuitive understanding of thinking: 

• How do our notions of beliefs and desires fit into a scientific view?

• Do we act rationally?

• What role do emotions play in our thoughts?

 

3 - The mind's place in the world: 

• Can chimps, birds, or colonies of bacteria think?

• What can evolution tell us about our the way we think and behave?

• Does cognition happen solely in the brain, or can we usefully understand it as "extended" to include the body and environment?

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand and articulate some of the prominent issues faced when trying to explain how our cognitive capacities work.
2. Challenge and assess the common intuitions we have regarding how our own cognitive capacities in work in the light of scientific evidence.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of what features might make human cognition special, and what features it might share with other animals or machines.
4. Engage in philosophical discussion and debate, verbalising their interpretations and criticisms of the various ideas discussed throughout the course.

• Tutorial participation and presentation (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4]

• Research paper 1, 2000 words (40%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4]

• Research paper 2, 2500 words (50%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4]

• 2 hrs lectures (26 hours total)

• 1 hour of tutorial (12 tutorials total)

• 3 hours of independent reading per week plus preparation of assessment tasks.