Course Objectives
1. By the end of the course the students will have acquired a basic familiarity with debates over some key methodological and philosophical problems in cognitive science, including: how the brain and the mind relate together; mind-body interaction, computer models, intelligence and understanding; the nature of consciousness; etc.
2. They will have acquired a preliminary grasp of the way different disciplines (e.g. psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computer science and AI, robotics, biology etc.) collaborate and compete together over their treatment of common themes in cognitive science, and how philosophical discussion helps to integrate the views from different disciplines.
3. They will have acquired a basic ability to analyze the structure of complex problems and arguments concerning cognition, consciousness, computation, etc.; and to subject arguments (both their own and others') to critical scrutiny. They will appreciate the need to use detailed examples to support or criticize generalizations, and to assess the value of specific empirical results in supporting claims about cognitive science.
4. Students will understand the importance of thinking and reasoning clearly, of expressing their ideas with clarity, and critically reflecting upon their own views and the views of others.
5. In keeping with an interdisciplinary agenda, students will have experienced discussions where it is vital to understand, communicate and exchange ideas across disciplinary boundaries. They will be able to carry their awareness of the contributions of different disciplines to cognitive science forward to inform the rest of their undergraduate studies in this area.