SOW-DGCN03
Neurophilosophy
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleSOW-DGCN03
Credits (ECTS)6
Category-
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Social Sciences; Cognitive Neuroscience;
Lecturer(s)
Lecturer
dr. ing. L.C. de Bruin
Other course modules lecturer
Contactperson for the course
prof. dr. W.F.G. Haselager
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
prof. dr. W.F.G. Haselager
Other course modules lecturer
Examiner
prof. dr. W.F.G. Haselager
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
dr. G. Mecacci
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2018
Period
SEM2  (04/02/2019 to 12/07/2019)
Starting block
SEM2
Course mode
full-time
Remarks-
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesNo
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims

In this course students will become acquainted with a number of hotly debated issues in neurophilosophy. They will learn to appreciate the fact that there currently exist various, sometimes widely differing, views about the very nature of mind and cognition. Students will be able to explicate (both verbally and in writing) the relations between neuroscientific data and theories and their psychological and philosophical interpretations and consequences. Ultimately, students should be able not just to reiterate the standard positions, but also to formulate and defend their own views on these topics.

Content

Reductionism: What is the relation between mind and brain (the mind-body problem)? And what, exactly, is the relation between psychology and neuroscience? Even if the existence of a separate mind substance (dualism) is rejected, there are various positions possible, ranging from eliminativism (psychology and all talk of the mental should be eliminated in favour of neuroscience), via reductionism (psychology can be reduced to neuroscience, but it still provides the explananda) to a complete autonomy for psychology (neuroscience does not contribute anything to the study of mind and cognition).

Embodied Cognition and Predictive Coding: How should the relation between brain, body and environment be construed? Over the past few years, the predictive coding approach has increasingly been gaining ground throughout the cognitive sciences. This approach treats the brain as a probabilistic inference system, which is hierarchically organized in levels and attempts to predict the input it receives by constructing models of the possible causes of this input. What are the implications of this approach for Embodied Cognition and the Extended Mind Hypothesis?

(Self-)Consciousness and Free Will: Phenomenal consciousness or subjective experience is currently seen as the "hard problem" of the philosophy of mind. What is consciousness and what role, if any, does it play in cognition? Will neuroscience be able to identify the property in the brain that is (responsible for) consciousness, and, if so, will we be able to understand how that property is, or gives rise to, consciousness? How is our conscious experience related to the interpretation of ourselves as actors? Do our conscious thoughts really cause our behavior? Is there such a thing or process as 'Free will'?

Neuroethics: Developments within cognitive neuroscience have considerable implications for society, raising all kinds of moral and legal issues. Topics range from privacy, therapy and cognitive enhancement to identity, responsibility and the human self-conception at large. We will examine and critically reflect upon a variety of current and potential ways in which cognitive neuroscience will help to shape our future. Another issue is to what extent cognitive neuroscience can illuminate our capacity to engage in ethical evaluations in the first place. Will a behind-the-scenes look at human morality have moral implications or change our evaluation of human morality?

Assumed previous knowledge
NOTE: this course is for CNS students only. Non-CNS students can contact Ellen Janssen (e.janssen@donders.ru.nl)or Arno Koning ( a.koning@donders.ru.nl)

Required materials
Course material
Lecture notes References (book chapters and journal papers)
Articles
Dijkstra, N. & De Bruin, L.C. (2016). Cognitive Neuroscience and Causal Inference, Frontiers in Psychiatry. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00129
Articles
Farah, M. J., Hutchinson, J. B., Phelps, E. a, & Wagner, A. D. (2014). Functional MRI-based lie detection: Scientific and societal challenges. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 15(2), 123-31. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24588019
Articles
Ramsey, W. (2013) Eliminative Materialism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/
Articles
Wilson, R. & Foglia, L. (2015) Embodied Cognition, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/
Articles
Wilson, R. & Foglia, L. (2015) Embodied Cognition, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/
Articles
Wilson, R. & Foglia, L. (2015) Embodied Cognition, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/
Articles
Wilson, R. & Foglia, L. (2015) Embodied Cognition, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/

Recommended materials
Articles
Wilson, R. & Foglia, L. (2015) Embodied Cognition, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/
Articles
Coltheart, M. (2013). How Can Functional Neuroimaging Inform Cognitive Theories? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(1), 98-103. doi:10.1177/1745691612469208. Available at: http://pps.sagepub.com.proxy.ubn.ru.nl/content/8/1/98.full.pdf.
Articles
Klaming, L. & Haselager, W.F.G.. (2013). Did my brain implant make me do it ? Questions raised by DBS regarding psychological continuity, responsibility for action and mental competence. Neuroethics, 6(3), 527-539, doi :10.1007/s12152-010-9093-1.
Book
Wilson, R. & Foglia, L. (2015) Embodied Cognition, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/embodied-cognition/
Articles
Brembs, B. (2011). Towards a scientific concept of free will as a biological trait: spontaneous actions and decision-making in invertebrates. Proceedings Biological Sciences / The Royal Society, 278(1707), 930-9. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.2325
Articles
Maoz, U., & Yaffe, G. (2015). What does recent neuroscience tell us about criminal responsibility? Journal of Law and the Biosciences, 1-20. doi:10.1093/jlb/lsv051
Articles
Neuroskeptic (2012). The Nine Circles of Scientific Hell. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 643–644. doi:10.1177/1745691612459519
Articles
Young, L., & Dungan, J. (2012). Where in the brain is morality? Everywhere and maybe nowhere. Social Neuroscience, (February 2013), 37–41.

Instructional modes
Active participation in discussions
Attendance MandatoryYes

Lecture
Attendance MandatoryYes

Remark
Lectures, student assignments, active participation in discussions.

Student assignments
Attendance MandatoryYes

Tests
Essay
Test weight1
Test typeEssay
OpportunitiesBlock HER, Block SEM2

Remark
TYPE OF EXAM: Take home exam (paper).