Philosophical Problems of Cognitive Science 2401-OG-EN-PHPCS

The seminar explores fundamental questions about the nature of the mind from the perspective of philosophy, cognitive science, and empirical research. We focus on the relationship between philosophical and neurological approaches to understanding the subject (the thinker) and explaining human cognitive abilities in relation to the world and the self. Particular attention is given to topics such as determinism and free will, self-consciousness, and the problem of understanding in light of contemporary empirical studies.
Instead of concentrating primarily on academic literature, the seminar is based on TED Talks and video lectures related to these themes. Each student chooses a topic, selects a relevant lecture, and prepares a short introductory presentation, which then serves as a starting point for a broader group discussion.
Topics:
I Introduction - a seminar lecture
II. Contemporary approaches to the mind-body problem.
III. Embodied Mind and the concepts of Self
IV. Intentionality and goal direction
V. Determinism and free will
VI. Understanding and rationality in the philosophical and cognitive interpretations.
VII. Consciousness and attention
VIII. Empathy and mind reading as elements of theory of mind
IX. Illusions of a first person perspective in healthy subjects: Experiments RHI, the FBI, BSI, OBE
X. Phantom limbs and psychosomatic disorders of self-identification
XI. Cognitive aspects of meditation and hypnosis
XII. Lucid Dreaming and deja vu as a scientifically tested phenomenon
XIII. Self-knowledge
XIV. Individual and social subject