PHIL 308: Metaphysics and Mind

Spring 2004

Prof. Ashley McDowell

This course is about philosophical issues in the areas of metaphysics and philosophy of mind, and at their intersection. Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, and philosophy of mind studies metaphysical issues having to do with minds. A philosophical study of these topics is one in which we give thoughtful reasons for positions on various issues. In this course, through lecture and discussion, you will learn about the views of prominent historical and contemporary philosophers on some key issues in metaphysics and mind.

In particular, we will focus on three main topics. The “mind/body problem” involves questions about the nature of mind and its relation to body. Is the mind a nonphysical soul-like entity, or is the mind the brain, or is it the software that runs on the brain’s hardware, or is it something else? In particular, we will discuss how consciousness fits into the mind/body problem. A second issue is that of free will. Does modern scientific knowledge entail that none of our actions is really free? What is it for an action to be free, anyway? What kinds of restrictions might there be on our freedom – for example, if time travel is possible, are we free to change the past? The third issue is that of “personal identity.” This is the question of what makes an object, in particular a person, the same over time. Every molecule in your body is replaced about every seven years – are you a new person after the last molecule goes? If not, what does make you the same person – your memories, personality, a causal link to the past, or what?

Not only will we read about and discuss each of these topics; students will be expected to talk about them in class and to come to their own conclusions. They will defend some of those conclusions in the form of philosophical papers. They will work through other ideas in respectful discussion with their classmates and instructor.