PHIL 1102 - Mind and World | Course Outlines

PHIL 1102 - Mind and World

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016

Being human is special. Humans are highly intelligent, language-using organisms, who are capable of building complex systems of knowledge, conscious of themselves and their world, and able to freely choose a path through life. So far as we know this combination of abilities is uniquely human. But each is somewhat puzzling. How can we be free if every event is determined by what comes before it? How can words and symbols, which are mere scribbles (or noises), have meanings? And how do organisms with bodies made of physical materials get to be conscious knowers? Philosophers have thought long and hard about these questions. Mind and World is an introduction to some of the answers they've discovered.

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Course Details

Course Code	PHIL 1102
Course	Mind and World
Coordinating Unit	Philosophy
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Assessment	Writing exercise 20%, Essay 40%, Exam 40%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Jonathan Opie

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

Introduce students to the methods of contemporary philosophy.
Develop the ability to identify the structure of philosophical arguments.
Present some classic philosophical problems and dilemmas.
Understand some of the central problems in the theory of knowledge, the theory of representation, and the philosophy of mind.
Have experience in analyzing and critiquing written arguments.
Show improvement in problem solving and critical reasoning skills.
Be able to discuss and debate philosophical issues in a group setting.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1-4
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2, 3, 5, 6
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	7
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	5-7
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	7
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	7

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Readings for tutorials and essay preparation will be made available online.

Online Learning

Lecture notes and a recording of the lectures will be made available on MyUni each week. Tutorial questions and readings will also be made be made available on MyUni. Essay questions and readings will be posted on MyUni.

Learning & Teaching Modes

Lectures. There are two lectures each week, which can be attended in person or viewed on MyUni.
Tutorials. Tutorials are designed to help you understand the lecture material, but may touch on other topics. To prepare for tutorials, please answer the questions made available each week on MyUni.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

2 x 1-hour lectures (or equivalent) per week	24 hours per semester
1 x 1-hour tutorial (or equivalent) per week	12 hours per semester
4 hours assignment/exam preparation per week	48 hours per semester
3 hours tutorial preparation per week	36 hours per semester
3 hours reading per week	36 hours per semester
TOTAL WORKLOAD	156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

Introduction (1 Lecture)

Topic 1: Do we have Free Will? (3 Lectures)

The puzzle of free will. Compatibilism and its rivals.

Freedom and responsibility.

Topic 2: What is Knowledge? (6 Lectures)

The puzzle of knowers and knowing. Classical and

naturalized epistemology. Relativism versus objectivism.

Topic 3: Where does Meaning come from? (3 Lectures)

The puzzle of representation. Meaning and meaning bearers.

Linguistic and pictorial meaning. Theories of meaning.

Interlude (1 Lecture)

Topic 4: What is a Mind? (10 Lectures)

What is a mind and who has one? Marks of the mental:

consciousness, intelligence & intentionality. The computer

model of the mind. Classical metaphysics of mind.

Specific Course Requirements

Attendance at a minimum of seven out of ten tutorials is compulsory. You will incur a penalty of 3% per tutorial for any further absences, unless you can provide a medical certificate or counsellor’s letter. The penalty is deducted from your final course mark. The maximum possible penalty is 9% (attendance at five or fewer tutorials).

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Task	Type	Weight
Essay 1	Summative	20%
Essay 2	Summative	40%
Exam	Summative	40%
Tutorials	Formative	Unweighted

Assessment Detail

Your assessment in Mind and World will involve two essays and an exam. The word limits below are lower and upper bounds, respectively.

Essay 1 (400-500 words). You will choose one question based on material from Topic 1.
Essay 2 (800-1000 words). You will choose one question based on material from Topic 2.
Exam (2 hours). The exam will comprise eight questions, two based on material from Topic 3 and six based on material from Topic 4. You will not be permitted to bring notes or textbooks into the exam.

Submission

Your assignments are submitted through MyUni. If you are not familiar with the process, there’s a tutorial here. Remember that it is your responsibility to submit your assignments correctly. The submission process is as follows:

Log into MyUni and select Mind and World (PHIL_1102)
Select Assignments in the left-hand menu.
Select Essay 1 Submission or Essay 2 Submission, as appropriate.
Select Browse My Computer then choose a file to submit for marking.
Select Submit. Note: DO NOT select 'Save as Draft' as this will not submit your assignment and there will be no indication that it has been completed.
Please keep an electronic copy of your essay, just in case.

Each essay must satisfy the following requirements:

It must include a brief introduction and conclusion.
It must acknowledge any dependence, either direct or indirect, on source material.
It must include a reference list of all material cited in the essay.
It must not lie outside the stated word limits (see above).

Written work which doesn’t conform to these requirements may be penalized.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator