Matter, Mind and Consciousness

This will be a course on philosophy of mind, focusing on three topics that have been the subject of a good deal of attention in the last five to ten years, and which are currently at the vanguard of research: Phenomenal Intentionality, Panpsychism, and Substance Dualism. There is a good deal of cutting-edge research being pursued on all three of these topics today. The course will introduce participants to this new work, and pursue many of the questions and controversies surrounding it. Of the seven faculty members, four are centrally concerned with Phenomenal Intentionality – two with the intentionality of perception and two with the intentionality of thought; two are centrally concerned with Panpsychism; and one is centrally concerned with Substance Dualism. Each of the faculty members will give two or three lectures on his or her area of expertise. Participants will thus be exposed to these three topics of current interest in significant detail.

 

The course will feature three sessions each by the seven faculty members, including lecture and extensive discussion. Participants will be invited to offer a 10-15 minute presentation.