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20988 ITB 037E KNOWLEDGE, LANGUAGE AND LOGIC

SPRING 2017
Prof. Dr. AYDAN TURANLI
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Office Number: B4-310
E-mail: turanliay@itu.edu.tr
Office Hours: Monday: 14:00-15:00

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course aims at introducing the basic topics of philosophy of mind. What is the nature of
mind? What is intentionality? What is consciousness? What are the relations between so-
called conscious robots and human beings? What are the relations between artificial
intelligence and human mind? are some of the questions to be discussed during the course.
During classes, we are going to deal with these issues by primarily focusing on contemporary
philosopher of language and mind John Searles writings.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Searle, John. The Rediscovery of the Mind. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. 1992

The reader including the photocopies of the selected texts is found in a file at the Faculty of
Science and Letters photocopy center (Fethi Copy).

ADDITIONAL (OPTIONAL) TEXTS:

Searle, John. Making the Social World: The Structure of Human Civilization. Oxford:
Oxford University Press. 2010
Searle, John. Expression and Meaning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.1999 (1979).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1 Mid-Term exam, 40 points.
One final exam 50 points.
10 points for attendance and participation in class discussion.

ATTENTION: THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE IN THE LAST WEEK OF THE


SEMESTER

It goes without saying that plagiarism and cheating are strictly prohibited; in case you do, you
will not get any points: questions require interpretation and application of the texts to problem
situations. In order for you to do this, you should not only go through texts, but also do some
thinking before you take exams.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Week 1 General
Introduction
Week 2 What is wrong with Chapter 1
the Philosophy of
Mind?
Week 3 The Recent History Chapter 2
of Materialism
Week 4 Silicon Brains, Chapter 3
Conscious robots
and Other minds
Week 5 Consciousness and Chapter 4
Its Place in Nature
Week 6 Reductionism and Chapter 5
Irreducibility of
Consciousness
Week 7 The Structure of Chapter 6
Consciousness
Week 8 Spring Break
Week 9 Mid-Term Exam
Week 10 The unconscious Chapter 7-8
and its relation to
consciousness-
consciousness,
intentionality and
the background
Week 11 Film on Artificial
Intelligence
Week 12 The Critique of Chapter 9
Cognitive Reason
Week 13 The Proper Study Chapter 10
Week 14 Final Exam

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