Professor: Dr. Charles Wallis	Phone: 54345
Office: 901 MHB	Office hours: M 11am-1pm, T, Th 10:00am-10:30am
	Web Site: http://www.csulb.edu/~cwallis/483/483f.html

The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the ontological, epistemological, and methodological problems prominent in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of cognitive science as well as the historically and scientifically important attempts to resolve these problems. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to discuss and write about these problems and their proposed solutions at an advanced level. Students should be able to read and comprehend current journal articles on these topics.

Matter and Consciousness by Paul Churchland
Readings in the Philosophy of Psychology ed. Ned Block
From Folk Psychology to Cognitive Science by Stephen Stich
reserve readings

Some Alternate Textbook sources:
Bravobooks Search Engine
Amazon.com
 
 

WK 1: Introduction to the Course
    Readings: Matter and Consciousness pp.1-22, Readings pp. 1-7

WK 2: Behaviorism
    Readings: Readings pp. 11-63, Matter and Consciousness pp.51-66

WK 3: Reductionism
    Readings: Readings pp. 67-133, Matter and Consciousness pp. 67-82
    Doings: First Test Handed Out

WK 4: Functionalism
    Readings:  Readings pp. 171-190 and 207-222, Matter and Consciousness pp.83-98
    

WK 5: Functionalism
    Readings: Readings pp. 234-6 and 268-306

    Doings: First Test Due

WK 6: Catch-up or forge ahead
    Doings: Turing Machine Lab, Second Test Handed Out

    October 13: Columbus Day (campus open) no class missed!

WK 7: Computers and AI
    Readings: Photocopy packet (Turing, ), Matter and Consciousness pp.99-122

WK 8: Computers and AI
    Readings: Photocopy packet (Smolensky, Bechtel), Matter and Consciousness pp. 123-66
    Doings: Second Test Due

WK 9: Skepticism, Consciousness, and Qualia
    Readings: Readings pp.159-170, Photocopy packet (Churchland, Jackson, and Searle)
    Doings: Third Test Handed Out, Turing Machine Lab Due

WK 10: Consciousness
     Readings: Photocopy packet ( Chalmers , Dennett)

WK 11: Stich
    Readings: From Folk... pp.1-50
     

November 11: Veterans's Day Holiday (campus open) no class missed!

WK 12: Contents of Beliefs
    Readings: From Folk... pp.51-97
    Doings: Third Test due, 12/9    Artificial neuron lab due or  Back propagation lab due  due 12/2

WK 13: More Stich or catch up
    Doings: Sidebar Due, Nov 25th  

November 27-28: Thanksgiving Holiday (campus closed)

WK 14: Evolution of the Brain
   Doings: Fourth Test Handed Out, Incest avoidance mechanisms lab due or Unconscious bias lab due , due 12/4

WK 15: Disorders of the Brain
    
 Finals Week: Fourth Test Due During Final Exam Period 12/18

Course grades will be based upon a "sidebar" presentation or web page of some topic, three labs, and four take-home tests.  Grades for each test will be assigned as A-F.  Test scores will be weighted as follows: 10%  of course grade for the 1st test,  25% course grade for each of the 2nd-4th tests.  Should I suspect students are not submitting their own original work (e.x. word for word identical passages in two different tests) I will switch to in-class essay tests.  The papers will be written in response to questions (handed out two weeks before) and will be of a primarily discursive nature.  Students will complete three labs, the Turing machine lab and one of each of the two pairs above (artificial neuron or back propagation and incest avoidance or unconscious bias).  The labs will count as 15% of the course grade and will also be available as links from the news and announcements page.  The university policy on withdrawals will be followed.
 

Cheating and Plagiarism: The CSULB Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism will be followed strictly.   Students who have any questions or uncertainty whatsoever about this policy are responsible for meeting individually with the instructor to discuss the policy.  Students found to be cheating on any exam, quiz, or other course element will be FAILED for the  COURSE and will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs for possible probation, suspension, or expulsion.  
 
 

I have constructed a web site which contains the syllabus, lecture slides, links, a lexicon, study questions, and links to labs.  All materials  are posted solely to further aid students in their studies.  However, students often comment upon the usefulness of this material and I strongly encourage students to visit the site at least once.