: Verena Gottschling
vgott@yorku.ca
Office Location:  S444 Ross Building
Phone Number:  (416) 736-2100 Ext. 44722
Office Hours:  TBA

In this Seminar in Philosophy of Mind we focus in Part 1 on visual thinking and visual imagery. We will discuss whether we think in language or in pictures, and look at theories of visual imagery. Another part will be on the question how we perceive and process both visual Art and Architecture and which role conscious experience of Art plays in these processes.

We will understand Philosophy of Mind in the broader sense and include research from different kinds of disciplines. Researchers in different areas try to find out how we imagination and creativity works, and what influences our perception of visual Art and architecture.

Several papers (online, Moodle/eclass)

Homework for each class/topic (a quiz per class topic)           10%

MET1 (Module End Test 1)                                                       10%

Final Exam Part 1 (Module End Test 2)                                10%

One short reflective response paper                                      20%

Final Exam Part 2 (short paper/analysis)                               20%

Feedback to two short response papers                                10%

Class discussion moderation                                                 10%

participation (forum and in class)                                             10%

Lecture and class discussion

The course in an blended course with both in-person and online activities. The online activities include both asynchronous, as well as synchronous activities, the synchronous activities are required as well.

We will meet several times (during the assigned class times) in person for discussion. Other activities, like lectures and some assignments will be online.

To ensure that you receive a high quality and hopefully transformative educational experience, regular participation is a requirement of this class. Typical weeks include required reading, viewing some video content, participating in discussion forums and at Zoom lectures as well as completing an assignment or an exam. In addition there will be in-person discussion classes. To be successful in this class, you will need to log in at least several times per module to access course materials and to participate actively in the class.

After completing this course, students should be able to:

Understand in some depth the main topics regarding certain higher cognitive functions in contemporary analytic philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science, and different views regarding it.

1. Evaluate others’ conceptual and empirical arguments and to create their own.
2. Develop the ability to write analyses of arguments
3. Know about several contemporary figures in the debate