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School of Engineering and Informatics (for staff and students)

The Ghost in the Machine? (G5077)

The Ghost in the Machine?

Module G5077

Module details for 2022/23.

15 credits

FHEQ Level 4

Module Outline

What is mind? How can our view of ourselves as subjects with a mental life be reconciled with the non-mental, scientific accounts we have of our brains and bodies? We will look at a number of different physicalist theories, concentrating on variants of the view that cognition is computation, and on neurophysiologically-based accounts of mind. In doing so, we will examine some of the basic issues underlying cognitive science as an interdisciplinary study of the mind, taking in topics from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, evolutionary theory, biology and philosophy along the way.

Library

Rather than a set text, students will read a selection of chapters and articles, such as: Jackson, Frank (1986). "What Mary Didn't Know". Journal of Philosophy (83): 291-295.
Searle, John (1980), "Minds, Brains and Programs", Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3 (3): 417-457
Turing, Alan (October 1950), "Computing Machinery and Intelligence", Mind LIX (236): 433-460

Module learning outcomes

Describe basic philosophical and methodological problems in cognitive science.

Discuss the way different disciplines (eg psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, linguistics, computer science and AI, robotics, biology, etc.) collaborate and compete together over their treatment of common themes in cognitive science.

Express ideas, thinking and reasoning clearly and critically reflect upon their own views and prejudices.

TypeTimingWeighting
Coursework100.00%
Coursework components. Weighted as shown below.
EssayA1 Week 1 100.00%
Timing

Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.

Weighting

Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.

TermMethodDurationWeek pattern
Autumn SemesterLecture1 hour11111111111
Autumn SemesterSeminar1 hour11111111111

How to read the week pattern

The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.

Dr Simon Bowes

Assess convenor
/profiles/169679

Prof Peter Cheng

Assess convenor
/profiles/100650

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School of Engineering and Informatics (for staff and students)

School Office:
School of Engineering and Informatics, ÅÝܽ¶ÌÊÓƵ, Chichester 1 Room 002, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QJ
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