PHILOSOPHY 1301: MIND, WORLD AND KNOWLEDGE

PHILOSOPHY 1301: MIND, WORLD AND KNOWLEDGE
CARLETON UNIVERSITY

PROFESSOR KEN FERGUSON

COURSE SYLLABUS

TERM: Summer Term 2011
TIME: Tuesday/Thursday 6:05-8:55
LOCATION Loeb B146
INSTRUCTOR: Ken Ferguson
OFFICE: Paterson Hall, 3A37 Paterson Hall
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday and Thursday 5:00-6:00 PM
PHONE: Office: (613) 520-2600, ext. 6307
EMAIL: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the nature of philosophical reflection and inquiry by exploring a
number of traditional problems concerning the nature of knowledge, minds, persons, language and related issues.
Among the issues to be considered are the following: What conditions must be satisfied, for example, if a person
is to know something? How can we respond to skeptics who insist that genuine knowledge is impossible? What is
consciousness? Is it something purely physical, a state of the brain, perhaps, or is it something over and above the
physical world? What are persons? Is there an afterlife? Has the development of modern science undercut any
rational basis for religious belief?

These and other issues have occupied the attention of reflective people for thousands of years. Although they must
have answers, it proves extremely difficult to know what they are, for they do not seem to be directly amenable to
the methods and procedures that we normally rely upon in forming beliefs in science or everyday life. This does
not mean, however, that we may choose whichever answers we like; opinions are of no interest unless they can be
supported by reasoned arguments. After looking at how some of the most prominent philosophical thinkers, both
today and in the past, have tried to answer these questions, we will try to arrive some conclusions ourselves.

REQUIRED TEXT

A course pack of readings with the title, Philosophy 1301: Mind, World and Knowledge, has been prepared by the
Instructor. This course pack can only be purchased at Haven Books, which is located at 43 Seneca Street, just off
Campus. Their phone number is: (613) 730-9888.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Three In-Class Tests: During the course of the semester three in-class tests will be held lasting approximately 90
minutes each. The format for these tests will be as follows. One week before the scheduled date for each test a list
of study questions will be made available to students. A number of questions from this list will then be selected by
the instructor for students to answer on the test. Each test will be worth 33% of the final grade for the course.
(More details will be provided regarding the content of these tests at the beginning of the course.)

Optional Term Paper: Students will be given the option of writing a term paper in place one of the in-class tests.
For students who choose this option, the other two in-class tests will be worth 66% and the term paper will be
worth 33% of the overall grade. Topics for the term paper will be provided early in the course.

Optional Class Participation Grade: Students will also be given the option of having 10% of their overall grade
determined by class participation. For those who choose this option, each of the other course requirements,
whether a test or term paper, will be worth 30% of the overall grade.

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WEB CT

Students must ensure that they have access to the Web CT for this course, as course notes as well as other
information and material will be posted on it. (If you do not know how to access it, please contact the Instructor.)

OUTLINE OF TOPICS AND READING

I. Introduction: The Nature of Philosophy

Reading 1: Louis Pojman, Philosophical Traditions : A Text with Readings, 2nd edition, (Toronto, Wadsworth,
2006), chapter 1: What is Philosophy? pp. 3-11

II. Philosophical Skepticism

Reading 2: René Descartes, Meditations (selections from Meditations) I, II, and III, and VI (from Introduction to
Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, 3rd edition, edited by Louis Pojman, (Oxford, Oxford
University Press, 2004) pp. 42-50
Reading 3 (online): Bertrand Russell, Chapter 2, “The Existence of Matter” from The Problems of Philosophy
Reading 4: G.E. Moore, “Proof of an External World,” from Epistemology: Contemporary
Readings, edited by Michael Huemer, (New York, Routledge, 2002) pp. 602-605
Reading (online): Edmund Gettier, “Is justified True belief knowledge?”, available at
http://www.anthonyflood.com/gettier.htm, or google the title.
Reading 5: Robert Audi, “The Structure of Knowledge”, from Argument and Analysis: An Introduction to
Philosophy, edited by Martin Curd (New York, NY: West Publishing Company, 1991) pp. 453-460
Reading 6 (online): Marshall Swain, “Knowledge, Causal Theory Of”’ (To download this article, google the
title.)

III. John Locke’s Empiricism: Thought, Perception and Reality

Reading 7: John Locke, “An Empiricist Theory of Knowledge”, from Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and
Contemporary Readings … pp. 73-81
Reading 8 (online): Peter Markie, “Rationalism Versus Empiricism”, Section 4, The innate Concept Thesis,
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rationalism-empiricism/#4
Reading 9 (online): Noam Chomsky, On Language
Reading 10 (online): “Chomsky’s Universal Grammar” from the website: The Brain from Top to Bottom,
sponsored by McGill University, available at http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/capsules/outil_rouge06.html

IV. Bishop Berkeley: Idealism

Reading 11: George Berkeley, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, “The First Dialogue” from
Philosophical Problems : An Annotated Anthology, 2nd edition, edited by Lawrence Bonjour and Ann Baker,
(Toronto, Pearson/Lonman, 2007) pp. 74-88

Reading 12 (online): Curtis Brown, “Berkeley: An Overview”,

http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/modern/berkeley.html
Reading 13 (online): Russell, Chapter IV, “Idealism,” from The Problems of Philosophy

V. David Hume’s Puzzle about Causation

Reading 14: David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section 7 (selections) taken from
Knowledge and Reality: Classic ad Contemporary Readings, edited by Steven M. Cahn, Maureen Eckert, and
Robert Buckley (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004) pp. 300-304
Reading 15: A.C. Ewing, “Cause”, from Argument and Analysis, edited by Martin Curd … pp. 496-505

VI. The Mind/Body Problem

Reading 16: Manuel Velasquez, Philosophy: A Text With Readings (Toronto, Wadsworth publishers, 2005)
Chapter 2, "How Do Mind and Body Relate?" pp. 104-118
Reading 17: Rene Descartes, Meditations (from Meditation VI) from Twenty Questions, edited by G.L. Bowie et

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al, (Boston: Wadsworth, 2011) pp.217-220
Reading 18 (online): Website: The Mind Project – Read the following modules: Functionalism: An Introduction;
The Turing Test; Artificial Intelligence: Can a Machine Think?; and Searle and the Chinese Room Argument
Reading 19: Susan Blackmore, Consciousness: An Introduction, Chapter 2 “What is it Like to be …?” (Oxford:
Oxford university press, 2012) pp. 19-31

VII. Alien Minds

Reading 20 (online): George Dvorsky, “The Fermi Paradox: Back With a Vengeance”. (To download this
reading, google the title.)
Reading 21 (online): David Berriby, “Why Alien Life is Very, Very Likely”. (To download this reading, google
the title.)
Reading 22 (online): Marvin Minsky, “Communicating With Alien Intelligence”, available at:
http://web.media.mit.edu/~minsky/papers/AlienIntelligence.html

VIII. Personal Identity

Reading 23: Manuel Velasquez, Philosophy: A Text With Readings … Chapter 2.4: “Is There an Enduring Self?
”, pp.119-131
Reading 24: Derek Parfit and Godfrey Vesey, “ Brain Transplants and Personal Identity: A Dialogue” from
Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, 3rd edition, edited by Louis Pojman … pp.
341-346
Reading 25: (recommended only): Eric Olson, “Personal Identity”, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/

IX. Science and Religion

Reading 26: Manuel Velasquez, Philosophy: A Text With Readings … Chapter 5.5, Does Science Give us
Knowledge? pp. 403-415
Reading 27 (online): God vs Science: A Debate between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins”, Time Magazine,
Nov. 5, 2006, available at: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/4047

Reading 28 (online): Richard Dawkins, “Is Science a Religion?” (To download this, google the title.)
Reading 29 (online): Tim Crane, “Mystery and Evidence”, available at:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/mystery-and-evidence/

X. Constructivism, Relativism, and Truth

Reading 30: Manuel Velasquez, Philosophy: A Text With Readings … Chapter 5, section 4: “Kant: Does the
Knowing Mind Shape the World?”, pp. 327-335
Reading 31 (online): “Epistemological Relativism”, Anonymous (To download this article, google the title.)
Reading 32 (online): Donald Davidson, “On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme” (To download this article,
google the title.)
Reading 33: Russell, The Problems of Philosophy … Chapter XII, “Truth and Falsehood”
Reading 34: “Truth”, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, available at: http://www.iep.utm.edu/truth/#H3

XI. The Puzzling Nature of Quantum Reality

Reading 35 (online): Philip Ball, “Physicists Bid Farewell To Reality”, in Nature News, available at
http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070416/full/news070416-9.html
Reading 36 (online): Kelley Ross, “Kantian Quantum Mechanics”, available at http://www.friesian.com/space-
2.htm or google title.

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Department of Philosophy and Carleton University Policies

Assignments:  For  Pregnancy:    Pregnant  students  requiring  academic 

Unless specifically told otherwise by their instructors, students:  accommodations are encouraged to contact an Equity Advisor in Equity 
ƒ must not use a plastic or cardboard cover or paper clips 
ƒ must staple the paper  Services  to  complete  a  letter  of  accommodation.    The  student  must 
ƒ must include the following in the lower right corner of the cover 
then  make  an  appointment  to  discuss  her  needs  with  the  instructor  at 
sheet:  student  name,  number,  course  number  and  instructor’s 
name  least  two  weeks  prior  to  the  first  academic  event  in  which  it  is 
• The Philosophy Department does not accept assignments by FAX.  
You may send them by courier, if necessary.  anticipated the accommodation will be required. 
• No assignments will be accepted after the last day for handing in 
term work.     
• Assignments  handed  in  through  the  essay  box  (just  inside  the 
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by  4:15  on  a  regular  business  day  in  order  to  be  date‐stamped 
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paper  is  lost  at  any  point,  you  will  be  considered  not  to  have  May 20 Last day for registration and course changes for full
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If you miss a final examination and/or fail to submit a final assignment  May 31 Last day for a fee adjustment when withdrawing from
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assignment, you must apply within 5 working days of the last scheduled 
day of classes.  Visit the Registrar’s Office for more information.  withdrawal).
 
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Plagiarism: 
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It is the responsibility of each student to understand the meaning of 
‘plagiarism’ as defined in the Undergraduate or Graduate Calendars,  Accommodation Forms for June examinations.
and to avoid both committing plagiarism and aiding or abetting 
plagiarism by other students.  (Undergraduate Calendar Academic  June 20 Last day of classes for early summer courses. Last day for
Regulations, section 14.3, or 
http://www.carleton.ca/calendars/ugrad/current/regulations/acadregs handing in term work and the last day that can be
univ14.html#14.3 
  specified by a course instructor as a due date for term

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June 21 Last day for academic withdrawal from early summer
requiring  academic  accommodations  in  this  course  must  register  with 
the  Paul  Menton  Centre  for  Students  with  Disabilities  (PMC)  for  a  courses.
formal  evaluation  of  disability‐related  needs.  Documented  disabilities 
include  but  are  not  limited  to  mobility/physical  impairments,  specific  June 24-29 Early summer final examinations will be held.
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the  Instructor  by  their  Coordinator.  In  addition,  students  are  expected 
to  confirm  their  need  for  accommodation  with  the  Instructor  no  later  July 4 Late summer courses begin and full summer courses
than  two  weeks  before  the  first  assignment  is  due  or  the  first  in‐class 
test/midterm.  If  you  require  accommodations  only  for  formally  resume.
scheduled exam(s) in this course, you must request accommodations by 
the last official day to withdraw from classes in each term.  July 11 Last day for registration and course changes for late

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For  Religious  Observance:    Students  requesting  academic  July 22 Last day for withdrawal from late summer courses with

accommodation  on  the  basis  of  religious  observance  should  make  a  full fee adjustment.
formal,  written  request  to  their  instructors  for  alternate  dates  and/or 
means  of  satisfying  academic  requirements.  Such  requests  should  be  July 29 Last day to submit to the Paul Menton Centre for
made  during  the  first  two  weeks  of  class,  or  as  soon  as  possible  after 
the  need  for  accommodation  is  known  to  exist,  but  no  later  than  two  Students with Disabilities, formal Examination
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of holy days and Carleton’s Academic Accommodation policies. 
a due date for term work.
 
Aug. 16 Last day for academic withdrawal from late summer and

full summer courses.

Aug. 18-23 Final examinations will be held.

Sept. 30 Last day for receipt of applications for review of final

grades in summer term courses.
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Oct. 1 

 

Addresses: 

Department of Philosophy:  3A46 Paterson Hall 

  www.carleton.ca/philosophy 

  520‐2110 

Registrar’s Office:  300 Tory 

  www.carleton.ca/registrar 

  520‐3500 

Student Academic Success Centre:   302 Tory   

  www.carleton.ca/sasc 

  520‐7850 

Paul Menton Centre:  500 University Centre 

  www.carleton.ca/pmc 

  520‐6608 
Writing Tutorial Service:  4th Floor, Library 

  www.carleton.ca/wts 

  520‐6632 

MacOdrum Library  www.library.carleton/ca 

  520‐2735