Minds, Brains, and Machines: Contemporary Philosophy of Mind
UndergraduateLTU-PHI3MBM2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 Feb 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Minds, Brains, and Machines: Contemporary Philosophy of Mind
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Learn how to analyse and evaluate central arguments, issues, and positions in the philosophy of mind including: the hard problem of consciousness, artificial minds, extended cognition, animal minds, dualism, and functionalism.
- Critically reflect on key philosophical texts in the philosophy of mind, including classic 20th Century texts and cutting edge contemporary works.
- Work collaboratively to assess the merits of philosophical ideas and arguments taking into account the different views and starting points of group members.
- Write a carefully constructed research essay in support of a substantive position in the philosophy of mind.
- Consciousness
- Artificial Intelligence
- Intentionality
- Theories of the Mind in the 20th Century
- Animal Minds
What is the mind and what is it made of? Can we say that mind and brain are the same thing? Are mental states, like thoughts and feelings, nothing more than brain states? Can machines be conscious? Do they have a mind? Do they think? Is language necessary for thinking? These and other questions will be the focus of this subject, which introduces you to contemporary philosophy of mind and to the philosophical underpinnings of contemporary cognitive science, psychology and linguistics.
This is a level 3 subject. Please consider the subject pre-requisites before enrolling. This subject includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.
- Core concept responses: three short written essays of 600 words each (each worth 15%) where the student has to explain and evaluate a core argument or position in the philosophy of mind with appropriate references to works in the library reading list.< (45%)
- Final Research Essay, 1,800 words. Final long essay assignment related to the last 4 weeks of the semester which must reference and deeply engage with key associated works in the library reading list. (45%)
- Online forum contributions 600 words (in total). Online forum responses to weekly discussion questions. Students encouraged to respond to each other's contributions, testing and questioning their respective ideas and arguments collaboratively. (10%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 60 credit points of Level one subjects.
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed PHI2MBM (Minds, Brains, and Machines: Contemporary Philosophy of Mind) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
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