10942 Philosophy of Cognitive Science

Credits: 4 advanced credits in Cognitive Science or in Philosophy

Prerequisites: 36 credits, including Contemporary Philosophy of Mind. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.

The course is, for the most part, based on Contemporary Debates in Cognitive Science, edited by Robert J. Stainton (Blackwell, 2006).

The course deals with important philosophical issues in cognition and cognitive science.

Topics: The scope and essence of cognitive science; Realism, interpretivism and instrumentalism in psychology; The modularity of mind; Innate vs. acquired knowledge (with a focus on linguistic knowledge); Cognitive science and rationality; The role of rules in cognitive processes; Consciousness and cognition; Cognitive processes and the environment.