Syllabus
Course Plan:
1. Introduction: consciousness and naturalism
2. Identity theory
3. Functionalism and ‘non-reductive physicalism’
4. Neurobiological theory
5. Representationalism
6. Mysterianism
7. Cognitive closure
8. Emergentism
9. Panpsychism
10. Panqualityism
11. Quantum theory
12. Conclusion
Annotation
We shall examine contemporary attempts in analytical philosophy of mind to define and explain the phenomenon of consciousness. The central question will be whether or not consciousness can be explained in a scientific and naturalistic way: whether, for example, it can be understood as a state of the brain, or as reducible to "functional states", or by a physicist theory involving sub-atomic quantum events. We will pay attention to the so-called "mysterians" who think that a naturalist explanation, though in principle possible, is humanly unattainable. We will also consider emergentist theory and the recent revival of panpsychism, which are also naturalistic theories, although they go beyond strict physicalism. Throughout the course we will also bear in mind the different conceptions of consciousness that are presupposed by the philosophers whom we discuss.
Texts can be found on Moodle at: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=9042