Philosophy 3

Beliefs, perceptions, intentions, feelings: we recognize these states of mind in ourselves and other people. But what is it to have a mind, or to be a subject of conscious experience? What is it to have a perspective on the world, as opposed to merely existing in it? In this class we’ll study these questions and related ones, looking at how they have been treated by philosophers in the past, and evaluating them by our own lights. Topics may include: the metaphysical nature of consciousness, the relationship between mental states and overt behavior, our knowledge of others’ mental states, how the content of our beliefs is determined by aspects of our physical or social environment.