Nature of the Emotions
[Syllabus]
Emotions like joy, sadness, anger, etc. constitute a familiar and important dimension of our lives. However, there are various puzzles about the nature of emotions. In this course we will examine contemporary theories developed by philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists. The guiding theme of the course is how emotions relate to minds, brains, and the world. Some questions we will consider include: do emotions inform us about the world, and if so, how? Are emotions hardwired in the brain? Do different cultures have different emotions? Do other animals experience the same emotions, or are some emotions uniquely human?
Philosophy of Neuroscience
[Syllabus]
One way of integrating philosophy and neuroscience is to address traditional philosophical questions (e.g., do humans have free will?) from the perspective of the latest findings in neuroscience. This approach is known as neurophilosophy. By contrast, the philosophy of neuroscience focuses on issues that arise within the practice of neuroscience. This course provides a broad survey of topics in the philosophy of neuroscience. We will analyze key concepts used by neuroscientists when theorizing about nervous systems (mechanism, representation, etc.), critically examine theoretical frameworks (functional localization, levels of analysis, etc.), and discuss epistemic challenges in various areas of neuroscience such as animal modeling and human neuroimaging.
Philosophy of Science
[Syllabus]
This course provides a broad survey of classic and contemporary issues in the philosophy of science. Topics are organized in three parts. We will begin by thinking about what distinguishes science from other enterprises, what makes some explanations “scientific”, and what role models play in science. Part two focuses on how scientists reason from evidence to theories, whether theories are true, and how we should think about scientific laws and categories. In the final part of the course, we will reflect on experimentation, keeping in mind that science is a social endeavor pursued by humans with flaws and personal values.