Anotace
A Story of the Mind (AFSV00289)
James Hill
What is the mind? What is its defining characteristic or power? Is it constituted by matter or a spiritual substance? What is the relation of the human mind to the rest of nature, particularly the animal kingdom? Does the mind begin as a blank slate, or does it always have within it the seeds of knowledge? Is there an unconscious realm within the mind?
Modern philosophers, since Descartes, have given a variety of answers to these questions. We will be considering these answers as they appear in a range of classic texts in European thought since the seventeenth century. We will trace a developing view of the mind from Descartes to the modern day, looking for continuities between the different conceptions, and developing a narrative or ‘story’ of reflection on the mind. This story will also take in thinkers who are usually thought to be natural scientists rather than philosophers, including Darwin, Freud and Chomsky.
This introductory course is intended not so much for students majoring in philosophy as for students studying any subject in the humanities.