Philosophy 3

Summer 2014 Session A

Number Title Instructor Days/time Room
3 Nature of Mind Khatchirian MTuWTh 12-2 130 Wheeler

This course is an introduction to the philosophy of mind. It is divided into three parts. In the first part, we will ask: what is it to have a mind? What kinds of properties are so-called mental properties? Can they be satisfactorily explained in terms of physical, behavioral, or functional properties of organisms? If so, how? If not, why not?

In the second part of the course, we will examine the nature of our knowledge of mental states. What is the connection between knowledge of one’s own mental states and knowledge of the mental states of others? What is the connection between knowledge of one’s own mental states and knowledge of the world around us?

The third part of the course concerns psychological explanation. What are we doing when we explain people’s behavior in terms of their beliefs, desires, and other contentful states? How is such explanation different from ordinary explanations of the behavior of other animals? How is it different from explanations of the behavior of inanimate objects?