IHSS-1964 Minds & Machines

Syllabus

Fall 2007

Introduction | Instructors | Schedule | Assignments | Grading | Honesty, Integrity, and Respect

Introduction

What are minds? Are minds physical or non-physical? Does consciousness have a physical basis? If minds are purely physical, do we have free will? If we don't have free will, do we have moral responsibilities or rights? Who or what are we anyway? How is our personal identity defined? What is the boundary between us and our environment? How close are we to building a computer with capabilities similar to those of Commander Data as depicted in Star Trek NG? Should it share the same basic rights and responsibilities as those possessed by humans? Moreover, if we can "build a person" or, perhaps, "build better persons" (cyborgs, genetic engineering, nanotechnology), is this something we should do? Or, should we prohibit such attempts? How about non-human-animals? To what extent are they conscious and aware, and to what extent does that give them rights?

If you are interested in exploring some of these conceptual and ethical questions regarding the nature of mind, this course will get you jump-started. Students meet twice a week in small sections to have class discussions and debates about these issues. On thursday evenings, all sections come together to listen to a guest speaker talk about their research on the frontiers of artificial intelligence and cognitive science, or to watch a movie that is particularly relevant to the topic at hand. During the course, students will learn how make a philosophical argument, and how to express them in writing or through an oral presentation. Final projects are hands-on: build an "intelligent" Lego Robot, write an AI program, or actively participate in a cognitive psychology experiment.

top

Topic Schedule

The course will follow the following schedule of topics:

Part I - Philosophy, Critical Thinking, Arguments, and Logic

Part II - Classical Philosophy of Mind

Part III - Minds and Rights

Part IV - Kinds of Minds

top

Assignments

There are 4 types of assignment:

A. NOTEBOOK QUESTIONS -
There will be a small number of notebook questions that will require you to write a somewhat lengthy (about 4 pages) yet organized paper. These notebook questions mainly test your understanding of the material read and discussed in class, and your ability to communicate these different ideas and arguments.

B. SHORT ASSIGNMENTS -
There will be several short assignments interspersed throughout the semester. These assignments may include take-home questions about the reading, little in-class quizzes about the reading, and short (1 page) open response papers regarding the Thursday evening lectures.

C. GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATION -
You and your group will give a presentation on one of a variety of topics concerning the nature of intelligence, personhood, and rights.

D. FINAL PROJECT or PAPER -
You will do ONE of the following:
(i) Participate in the design of “intelligent” computer software;
(ii) Conduct and/or participate in a psychological experiment;
(iii) Design a LEGO Robot to perform a specified task;
(iv) Write a philosophical paper (typed, 1500-2500 words) on some aspect of “Minds & Machines.”
(v) A project that you propose and develop in consultation with the instructor.

top

Grading

Roughly, each of the 4 types of assignment is worth between 20 and 30% of your grade. At the instructors’ discretion, points will be added to the student's final average in recognition of outstanding class participation or other forms of contribution to the class. Finally, attendance is mandatory for all sections, and missing classes will adversely effect your grade.

Final grades as well as grades on individual assignments will be assigned in accord with the following guidelines:

A- = 90-92%,  A =93% and above
Outstanding work. The student has completed all facets of the assignment(s) and has shown a full and subtle understanding of the subject matter that is original and thought provoking. The student’s work exhibits clarity and fluency of expression and contains only very minor errors of grammar or style.

B- = 80-82%, B =83-86%, B+ =87-89%
Highly satisfactory work. The student has completed most all facets of the assignment(s) and has shown a full understanding of the subject matter. The student’s work exhibits clarity of expression and contains only minor errors of grammar or style.

C- = 70-72%, C =73-76%, C+ =77-79%
Minimally satisfactory work. The student has completed the critical facets of the assignment(s) and has shown an adequate understanding of the subject matter. The student’s work exhibits clarity of expression as regards those critical facets but that clarity may be partially diminished by errors of grammar or style.

D = 60-66%, D+ =67-69%
Unsatisfactory work. The student has failed to complete some of the critical facets of the assignment(s) and has shown a less than adequate understanding of the subject matter. The student’s work exhibits clarity of expression as regards only some of those critical facets and that clarity may be largely diminished by errors of grammar or style.

F = 0-59%
Failure. The student has failed to complete many of the critical facets of the assignment(s) and has shown little understanding of the subject matter. The student’s work exhibits little clarity of expression as regards those critical facets and that clarity may be largely diminished by errors of grammar or style. “Failure,” either for the assignment or, at the instructor’s discretion, for the course, is also assigned in the case of cheating/plagiarism.

If you have questions, or need further information, please ask your instructor.

top

Honesty, Integrity, and Respect

One of the aims of this course is the fostering of the student's ability to think critically, creatively and independently. While everyone is aware that such thinking does not take place in a vacuum, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to ensure that the "ideas" expressed in written work are essentially those of the student, or, if they are the "ideas of others," that their sources are properly cited. Knowing disregard of this principle counts as ACADEMIC DISHONESTY and may result in course failure.

The student is encouraged to examine Rensselaer's policies regarding academic integrity in the current editions of the Rensselaer Handbook and the Rensselaer Undergraduate Catalog.

top

Date Last Revised: 8/26/07