Philosophy and the Sciences Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences

Course DescriptionWhat is our role in the universe as human agents capable of knowledge? What makes us intelligent cognitive agents seemingly endowed with consciousness?

This is the second part of the course ‘Philosophy and the Sciences’, dedicated to Philosophy of the Cognitive Sciences. Scientific research across the cognitive sciences has raised pressing questions for philosophers. The goal of this course is to introduce you to some of the main areas and topics at the key juncture between philosophy and the cognitive sciences. Each week we will introduce you to some of these important questions at the forefront of scientific research. We will explain the science behind each topic in a simple, non-technical way, while also addressing the philosophical and conceptual questions arising from it. Areas you’ll learn about will include:

      Philosophy of psychology, among whose issues we will cover the evolution of the human mind and the nature of consciousness.

       Philosophy of neurosciences, where we’ll consider the nature of human cognition and the relation between mind, machines, and the environment.

Learning objectives

Gain a fairly well-rounded view on selected areas and topics at the intersection of philosophy and the sciences

Understand some key questions, and conceptual problems arising in the cognitive sciences.

Develop critical skills to evaluate and assess these problems.

Suggested Readings

To accompany ‘Philosophy and the Sciences’, we are pleased to announce a tie-in book from Routledge entitled ‘Philosophy and the Sciences for Everyone’. This course companion to the ‘Philosophy and the Sciences’ course was written by the Edinburgh Philosophy and the Sciences team expressly with the needs of MOOC students in mind. ‘Philosophy and the Sciences for Everyone’ contains clear and user-friendly chapters, chapter summaries, glossary, study questions, suggestions for further reading and guides to online resources.

Please note, this companion book is optional - all the resources needed to complete the course are available freely and listed on the course site.

None

Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Philosophy and the Sciences Part 1
Stone-age minds in modern skulls: evolutionary theory and the philosophy of mind (Suilin Lavelle and Kenny Smith)
Week 2
What is consciousness? (Mark Sprevak and David Carmel)
Week 3
Intelligent machines and the human brain (Mark Sprevak and Peggy Series)
Week 4
Embodied cognition (Andy Clark and Barbara Webb)

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

An amazing course where you get introduced to concepts like cognitive science, philosophy of mind, consciousness, etc. Simple and crisp content matter.

brilliant and informative course on psychology and cognition . I highly recommend this to those who like to ask questions and are courageous enough to find their answers .

this is the great course for the people who are pursuing their carer in philosophy, philosophy of mind to be more precise and also for the people who are thinking of doing psychology later anytime.

A good and informative course on the philosophy of cognitive sciences. Judging by the lectures and quizzes, the course does seem to be more on a high school level, than an undergraduate level.