PHIL101 Mind and Reality

Overview

Do we have free-will? How are our minds related to our bodies? Can one prove that God exists? And other questions about what exists in the world.

The world is an awe-inspiring place. Socrates taught that if we want to live well here, we should understand the world as best we can. So in this paper, we learn to think about very general questions about the nature of reality. We try to formulate ideas and arguments as carefully as possible and then examine them for truth and persuasiveness. We get as clear as we can about 'big' topics that matter. How do we know: whether or not there is a god; what minds are and whether or not machines could have them; what constitutes freewill; and what constitutes personal identity.

About this paper

Schedule C

Arts and Music

Eligibility

This paper is open to all students.

Contact

philosophy@otago.ac.nz

More information link

View more information on the Philosophy programme's website.

Teaching staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Zach Weber

Lecturers: Associate Professor Zach Weber and Associate Professor Heather Dyke

Other lecturers to be confirmed.

Paper Structure

Structure:

• Arguments about Gods and Machines
• What are minds?
• What is personal identity?
• What is freewill?

Assessment:

• Essay - 15%
• In-class test - 15%
• Tutorial exercises - 10%
• Final exam - 60%

Teaching Arrangements

Two 50-minute lectures per week and one 50-minute tutorial per week.

Textbooks

Course notes and readings are provided.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Research.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete the paper will acquire:

1. The ability to read and write philosophical texts
2. Understanding of what philosophy is and how it is done
3. The ability to identify and critically assess arguments
4. A grasp of key ideas about mind and reality

Timetable