Dr. Alexandru Manafu
alexman@yorku.ca
Office Hours:  Information about office hours will be made available on EClass

This course offers an overview of some of the classical theories in the philosophy of mind, including dualism, behaviorism, identity theory, and functionalism. We will devote some time to the problem of consciousness, where we will look at a couple of classical arguments. We will also look at reductionism and emergence, as well as some aspects of the mental causation problem. Towards the end of the course we will consider the philosophical problems raised by near-death experiences, and by the concept of mental illness. The readings will be from primary sources, namely we will be engaging directly with the work of the philosophers proposing the aforementioned concepts and theories.

This course will happen asynchronously, online (ONLN). The students will be given access to recorded lectures and lecture slides, and they will be able to study at their own pace.

• David J. Chalmers (ed.) Philosophy of Mind. Classical and Contemporary Readings, OUP 2002
• A set of articles made available from the library on Moodle.

Ten critical reflections, each worth 1%: 10% (see more information below)

One essay: 45%

One final exam, which will take place during the examination period: 45%

Late penalty for essays: 10% of the value of the essay/ each 24 hours.

Every week you will have the opportunity to submit a critical reflection piece (250-500 words) which must focus on that week's readings (or just on one of them). In your reflection piece, you may raise an objection to a philosophical idea expressed in the reading; explore some implications of the idea, make connections/comparisons with other ideas, etc, etc, etc. Even though the reflection pieces are short, you are expected to devote a significant amount of time thinking about and writing them. They must engage deeply with the readings. No late critical reflections will be accepted. After you have submitted your critical reflection it is not possible to revise it or to submit another one. Click "submit" only after you have decided you are happy with your work. You can submit a maximum of 10 reflections overall in this course. Good or great submissions = 1%. Mediocre = 0.5%. Superficial = 0%.

This course will happen online and asynchronously (ONLN) without specified meeting times. The students will be given access to recorded lectures and lecture slides, and they will be able to study at their own pace.

This course will use Moodle/ eClass intensely. Students must have access to a well-functioning computer with reliable internet connection.

By the end of this course, students will:

• Be able to summarize, analyze, compare and engage critically with the various theories and concepts in the philosophy of mind using primary sources;
• Parse and evaluate complex arguments as they are formulated and expressed by their authors;
• Be able to formulate your own views about the nature of the mental and defend them with cogent arguments, both orally and in writing;