Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Course Description
Some questions and themes we will explore include the following: What does
it mean to think? Can animals think? Can machines think? What is the best
way to model human thinking in a computer program? Can thinking be a
process of symbol manipulation? Do our minds extend beyond our brains and
into our iPhones? Is the human mind a general all-purpose mechanism, or a
modular hodge-podge of specialized mechanisms slapped together through
the process of natural selection? Can a machine be conscious? Is
consciousness necessary for human-like intelligence? If a robot or other
machine (e.g. computer-controlled car or weapon) does something immoral,
who is responsible? The Turing Test; connectionism; Artificial Life and
robotics; Folk Psychology and mental causation; Artificial intelligence and
ethics; and the Extended Mind thesis. We may also incorporate current
events where relevant.
Texts
The following text is required for the course. It can be found in the University
Bookstore or through various online sources. (If you dont purchase it in the
bookstore please be sure you are buying the correct edition!) A few of the
readings are not in the text and will be posted on Blackboard.
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The reading load is not largewe will discuss roughly one article per class
sessionbut some of the material is difficult and so may take longer to read
than expected. Please plan accordingly. It is absolutely essential that you
have read the articles before you come to class. If you havent read them,
you cant discuss them; and if you cant discuss them, then you cannot
receive credit for class participation. We will also do a number of reading
responses which may be due 24 hours before the class session that we are
supposed to discuss the reading, and these will be graded.
Office hours: To be announced Stop by and chat so I dont get bored! (If
possible, shoot me an email to let me know youre coming.)
Assessment
Students will be graded on 4 essay exams given at the end of each topic
section, and a short paper writing assignment (2500-3000 words, or about 7-
10 typed pages). These will all be in the form of an argumentative essay
you must take a stand on something related to the readings and then
provide evidence for it. The exams are each worth 15% of the final course
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grade, and the paper is worth 20%. Due dates and times can be found below,
in the Class Schedule.
It is essential that readings are done by the date we are to discuss them,
which can be found below in the Class Schedule.
It is also crucial that students practice openness and respect for others
during these discussions. In days past it was commonplace for philosophical
discussions to be rather combative and competitive, including discussions in
the classroom. However, thankfully we have moved on from this. I view the
dialectic as a cooperative process, where bouncing ideas off of each other
allows us all to ratchet up closer to the truth.
Class discussion is also very important for other reasons. Plato wrote in
dialogue form, and analytic philosophy has progressed through dialectic ever
since. Discussion of arguments and ideas is a crucial part of this process.
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There is no Final (cumulative) Exam for this course, so we will not meet over
Finals Week.
Unit One: Origins of Artificial Intelligence: Symbol Systems and the Turing
Test
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Garon Psychosemantics
4/4 Chapter 14, Clark 4/6 Review for Exam 3
4/11 Exam 3 4/13 Handout: Clark & Chalmers,
The Extended Mind;
Chalmers, introduction to
Supersizing the Mind
4/18 Handout: Van Gulick, 4/20 Handout: McGinn, Could a
Consciousness, intrinsic machine be conscious?
intentionality and self-
understanding machines
4/25 Paper Due 4/27 Review for Exam 4
Chapter 16, van Gelder
5/2 Exam 4
Reading Philosophy
Reading in Philosophy courses tends to differ from that for other disciplines.
We tend to read less in our classes, but also to read much more carefully. You
may want to read assignments more than once in order to get a fuller
understanding. This is a skill which requires practice. If you are having
difficulty with the reading or want to talk about it more outside of class,
come see me during office hours.
Writing Philosophy
Writing for philosophy differs a little from writing for other disciplines. We will
talk more about the specifics in class, but in a nutshell analytic philosophy
emphasizes content over aesthetics. Try to avoid flowery language or long
introductionsjump right in and get straight to the point. Philosophy also
emphasizes clarity. To this end, try to be as clear and precise as possible
using the simplest language that you can. Be specific and explain exactly
what you mean.
Religious Observances
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SUs religious observances policy, found at
http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the
diversity of faiths represented among the campus community and protects
the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe religious holy days
according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an
opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that
may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their
instructors before the end of the second week of classes. For this semester,
an online notification process is available through MySlice/Student
Services/Enrollment/My Religious Observances from the first day of class
until the end of the second week of class.
Disabilities
If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact
the Office of Disability Services(ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu,
located in Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498 for an
appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting
accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related
accommodations and will issue students with documented Disabilities
Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since
accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided
retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.
Academic Integrity
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Students should review the Office of Academic Integrity online resource
Twenty Questions and Answers About the Syracuse University Academic
Integrity Policy (found at http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/faculty-resources/)
and confer with instructors about course-specific citation methods, permitted
collaboration (if any), and rules for examinations. The Policy also governs the
veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verification of
participation in class activities (PDF can be found at
http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/academic-integrity-policy/). Additional
guidance for students can be found in the Office of Academic Integrity
resource: What does academic integrity mean?
(http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/what-does-academic-integrity-mean/).
Plagiarism is a very serious offense. If you are unsure of whether or how you
should cite something, be sure to contact the Writing Center or myself. Any
plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for the assignment, an F in the
course, and will be reported to the Academic integrity Office. Dont do it. If
youre stuck on a writing assignment or worried about it or some emergency
comes up, email me or come talk to me, dont resort to presenting someone
elses work as your own.