| CODE | PHI2044 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Theories of Consciousness | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Nothing is perhaps more familiar to us than consciousness. Nevertheless, many have also often rightly noted the great difficulty of providing a systematic philosophical and scientific study of this particular phenomenon, thereby leading the prominent philosopher David Chalmers to dub it the "hard problem" of consciousness. Throughout this study-unit, a selection of readings taken from prominent thinkers in the twentieth and twenty-first century shall allow for the systematic exploration of some of the most fundamental issues pertaining to the nature and function of consciousness. Such questions include: - How can one define consciousness? - Is consciousness a mystery, or is it simply analysable in terms of the physical? - What does consciousness do? - To what extent can science help solve the alleged mystery? - Is human consciousness a special human characteristic? - Or is it a more fundamental reality belonging to the universe as a whole? Study-Unit Aims: The aims of this study-unit are to: - facilitate the exploration of some of the more prominent issues related to consciousness; - encourage students to critically evaluate different theories of consciousness; - engage with some of the most important ideas that have helped to shape contemporary views on consciousness; - question our common-sense assumptions about consciousness, its place in the universe, and its function. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate familiarity with the most prominent theories of consciousness in the twentieth and twenty-first century; - analyse the current debates and issues surrounding the nature of consciousness; - critically engage with primary readings on the nature and function consciousness. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - identify and reflect on the central concepts in the philosophy of consciousness; - evaluate the merits and deficiencies of particular theories of consciousness; - read analytically and critically assess a selection of writings on the philosophy of consciousness; - write a critical essay on a specific thinker working on the philosophy of consciousness, or a specific issue surrounding the fundamental nature of consciousness; - gain familiarity with the most recent theories of consciousness. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Block, Ned, Flanagan, Owen, and Güzeldere, Güven, eds (1997) The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates. Massachusetts: MIT Press. - Blackmore, Susan and Troscianko, Emily (2018) Consciousness: An Introduction. Oxon: Routledge. - Damasio, Antonio (2000) The Feeling of What Happens : Body, Emotion and the Making of Consciousness. New York: Vintage. - Dennett, Daniel C. (1991) Consciousness Explained. Boston: Little Brown. - Velmans, Max (2000) Understanding Consciousness. Oxon: Routledge. A selection of readings shall be made available to students on the University of Malta's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Supplementary Readings: - Blackmore, Susan (2006) Conversations on Consciousness: What the Best Minds Think about the Brain, Free Will, and What It Means to Be Human. New York: Oxford University Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Niki Young |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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