Reading Read Chapter 2 of Kim Can skip or skim over 3546 Read Descartes Selections pgs 115 in the reader Focus especially on pages 13 57 and 12 14 introduction In looking at the world two of the most fundamental divisions are ID: 501824
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Slide1
Philosophy of MindSlide2
Reading
Read Chapter 2 of Kim (Can skip or skim over 35-46)
Read Descartes Selections (
pgs
1-15) in the reader.
Focus
especially on pages 1-3, 5-7 and 12
-14.Slide3
introduction
In looking at the world two of the most fundamental divisions are:
Living vs. Non-living
Has a Mind vs. Does not have a mindSlide4
Introduction
There are tough issues with drawing precise lines between things with minds and things that lack them.
Slide5
What is a mind?
Kinds of Mental States
Sensations:
pains, tickles, the stench of a skunk.
Characterized by phenomenal character or what it is like to be in them
Intentional states/ propositional attitudes:
Beliefs, desires, intentions, hopes, fears.
Contentful
. They are
about
something.
Perceptual Experiences
: Sort of in between 1 and 2. They have
content
, but also seem to be importantly individuated by their phenomenology
Feelings/Emotions:
Anger, sadness, happinessSlide6
What is a mind?
A not very informative observation:
things that can be in mental states have minds.Slide7
The Mind body problem
In one sense minds are the most familiar things in the world:
You are intimately acquainted with your own thoughts and desires
Indeed, it may seem as if the thing you are most certain about is
what you are thinking, sensing, perceiving and so on
.
You have no difficulty attributing mental states to others correctly in most cases.Slide8
The mind body problem
In another sense, the mind is one of the most perplexing and difficult to understand problems we are aware of.
“The
two greatest mysteries in all of nature are the mind and the universe. With our vast technology, we have been able to photograph galaxies billions of light-years away, manipulate the genes that control life, and probe the inner sanctum of the atom, but the mind and the universe still elude and tantalize us. They are the most mysterious and fascinating frontiers known to science
.”
-
Michio
Kaku