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PH306D: CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY (2019-2020)

Last modified: 25 Sep 2019 09:58


Course Overview

This team-taught course is designed to expose students to topics of contemporary research interest. Each lecturer will teach 2-4 weeks of the course on topics related to their current research. The general theme of the course for this academic year is: Human and Non-Human Minds. Accordingly, the classes and tutorials of the course will cover issues and problems of: general philosophy of mind, animal minds, artificial minds (AI), and epistemology of various mental states and processes. These are some of questions that the course will investigate: what is self-consciousness? How do we understand other people’s mental states and behaviours? Do non-human animals think? Will developments in machine learning have an impact on our concept of trust and responsibility? Are our empirical beliefs rational considering that prejudices, desires and expectations can affect the content of our perceptions? Do we have non-circular reasons to trust our memory? How can we dispel the concern that a Cartesian demon or the Matrix might mislead our most elementary inferences? Students will choose to write assessments from this broad spectrum of topics.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term First Term Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Luca Moretti

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4
  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This team-taught course is designed to expose students to topics of contemporary research interest. Each lecturer will teach 2-4 weeks of the course on topics related to their current research. The general theme of the course for this academic year is: Human and Non-Human Minds. Accordingly, the classes and tutorials of the course will cover issues and problems of: general philosophy of mind, animal minds, artificial minds (AI), and epistemology of various mental states and processes. These are some of questions that the course will investigate: what is self-consciousness? How do we understand other people’s mental states and behaviours? Do non-human animals think? Will developments in machine learning have an impact on our concept of trust and responsibility? Are our empirical beliefs rational considering that prejudices, desires and expectations can affect the content of our perceptions? Do we have non-circular reasons to trust our memory? How can we dispel the concern that a Cartesian demon or the Matrix might mislead our most elementary inferences? Students will choose to write assessments from this broad spectrum of topics.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback Word Count 2500
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback Word Count 2000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback Word Count 3000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

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