.philosophyofmind.

Assignments

Assignment 1 | Due Feb 5 | 1,000 words

Explain in your own words, the main idea advocated by Turing in “ Computing Machinery and intelligence”, the 9 objections to that idea, and Turing’s responses to the 9 objections. 1000 words.

Assignment 2 | Due Feb 20 | 65 sentences.

[[If you do not know what a sentence is, you are doomed.]]

Re-read “Selfish genes and selfish memes”.

· For each of the two main parts of the article “Selfish genes” and “Selfish memes” summarize the main idea of that part in a single sentence.

· For each of the eight sub-parts of the article, summarize the main idea of that subpart in a single sentence

· For each of the 55 paragraphs of the article summarize the main idea of that paragraph in a single sentence.

· Arrange the whole thing in outline form as follows

Part I. Selfish genes: summary sentence

Subpart 1: summary sentence

Paragraph 1: summary sentence

Paragraph 2: summary sentence

. . .

Subpart 2:

Paragraph 8: summary . . .

Paragraph 9:.. . .

. . .

Part II. Selfish memes: summary sentence

Subpart 7: summary sentence

Paragraph ?. . .

Paragraph?. .

Subpart 8

Paragraph. . .

Assignment 3 | Due Mar 5 | 900 words

Re-Read “Where am I?” And “Where was I?”

1. Summarize in 150 words considerations in favor of the principle “Where Hamlet goes, there goes Dennett”

2. Summarize in 150 words considerations against the principle “Where Hamlet goes, there goes Dennett”

3. Summarize in 150 words considerations in favor of the principle “Where Yorick goes, there goes Dennett”

4. Summarize in 150 words considerations against the principle “Where Yorick goes, there goes Dennett”

5. Summarize in 150 words considerations in favor of the principle “Dennett is wherever he thinks he is”

6. Summarize in 150 words considerations against the principle “Dennett is wherever he thinks he is”

Assignment 4 | Due Mar 26 | 1,000 words

Time to get creative and apply what you have learned.

Step 1. 250 words (50 words each). Describe and define in your own words the following mental phenomena

· Perception

· Memory

· Pleasure

· Pain

· Desire

Step 2. 250 words. Which, if any, of these mental phenomena could be instantiated by a computer? Explain.

Step 3. 250 words which, if any, of these mental phenomena could be instantiated by a rock? Explain.

Step 4. 250 words. Which, if any, of these mental phenomena could be instantiated by the universe as a whole? Explain.

Be sure to make reference to the appropriate related readings.

Assignment 5 | Due Apr 16 | 1,000 words

Re-Read “Minds, brains and programs”

Step 1. 250 words. Summarize and explain Searle’s argument

Step 2. 250 words. Summarize and explain what you think of as the strongest objection to Searle

Step 3. 250 words. Summarize and explain what Searle has said or could say to counter this objection.

Step 4. 250 words. Do you agree or disagree with Searle’s main point? Why?

Assignment 6 | Due Apr 30 | 1,000 words

In your own words, answer the following question.

What is a mind?

Go wild. Have fun with it. Apply what you have learned. Be sure to make reference to the appropriate related readings