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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Philosophy

Undergraduate Course: The Computational Mind (PHIL10134)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryComputation appears to be our best hope for explaining how the mind works. Over the past forty years, computational models have scored numerous successes in explaining various mental phenomena. Today, computation dominates cognitive science. This course introduces the computational approach to the mind and explores some foundational questions and challenges that it faces.
Course description Topics covered by the course include:

- What is a computation?
- If the mind is a computer, what kind is it?
- Is computation a real feature of brain, or a projection of our
interests?
- Can consciousness be explained by computation?
- Are cognitive computations in the brain or do they spill into the
environment?
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017) AND Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  24
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 1. Weekly participation (online web forum posts --- see Course Guide for details) (20%)
2. End-of-semester essay of 3,000 words (hard limit on word count) (80%)
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Academic year 2017/18, Part-year visiting students only (VV1) Quota:  6
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 1. Weekly participation (online web forum posts --- see Course Guide for details) (20%)
2. End-of-semester essay of 3,000 words (hard limit on word count) (80%)
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
To develop further the philosophical skills, and to extend as well as deepen the philosophical knowledge, acquired in previous philosophy courses.
Reading List
1. A. Clark. Mindware: An Introduction to Cognitive Science. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2 edition, 2014.
2. T. Crane. The Mechanical Mind. Routledge, London, 3rd edition, 2016.
3. J. Haugeland. Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1985.
A complete reading list, with readings for each week, is on Learn.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Keywordscomputation,philosophy,mind,consciousness,externalism
Contacts
Course organiserDr Mark Sprevak
Tel:
Email:
Course secretaryMiss Samantha Bell
Tel: (0131 6)50 3602
Email:
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