Course Unit – Advanced Topics of Philosophy of Mind, Language and Cognition

12 ECTS – 3rd level (PhD Degree)

2021- 2022, 2^nd Semester

Instructor: Adriana Silva Graça

Language of Instruction: English

 

Course Description:

 

The unity of the course is granted by all modules starting from Bertrand Russell’s views and approaches. From there, in each module, different theories will be dealt with.

 

Module 1 – Language

The Theory of Definite Descriptions – what it is, what is its main purpose and how it provides a philosophical method. The fundamental Russellian distinction between referring and denoting. The main objections to the theory, as they were presented over time, will be discussed.

 

Module 2 – Cognition

The cognitive counterpart relative to the Russellian results on language. Knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description. A priori knowledge. Perception and the foundation of our knowledge of the external world. Russell’s views on matter. Sellars’s ‘myth of the given’.

 

Module 3 – Mind

An implementation of the Russellian method. Russell’s views on mind. Focus on mind and discussion of different approaches: physicalism (or materialism) and idealism. Cartesian dualism. Russell´s alleged solution for the mind-body problem by putting forward neutral monism. Spinoza as precursor of neutral monism and panpsychism as a follow up line of research, relative to this theory.

 

Grading and Assessment:

Students are expected to write a final essay (around 4000 words) in one of the modules (40% of the final grade) and to make one written test for each module (60% of the final grade). Depending on the instructor’s choice and on the number of students in class, oral presentations may be included. Work in class will be accomplished on a seminar regime.

 

Readings (selection):

Primary References

Bertrand Russell

 

(1905) “On Denoting”. Mind, 14: 479–493; reprinted in Bertrand Russell, Essays in Analysis, London: Allen and Unwin, 1973, 103–119; and in Bertrand Russell, Logic and Knowledge, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1956, 41–56; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 4.

 

(1908) “Mathematical Logic as Based on the Theory of Types,” American Journal of Mathematics, 30: 222–262; reprinted in Bertrand Russell, Logic and Knowledge, London: Allen and Unwin, 1956, 59–102; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 5.

 

(1911) “Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description,” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 11: 108–128; reprinted in Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays, New York, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1918, 209–232; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 6.

 

(1912) The Problems of Philosophy, London: Williams and Norgate; New York: Henry Holt and Company.

 

(1912) “On the Relations of Universals and Particulars,” Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 12: 1–24; reprinted in Bertrand Russell, Logic and Knowledge, London: Allen and Unwin, 1956, 105–124; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 6.

 

(1914) Our Knowledge of the External World, Chicago and London: The Open Court Publishing Company.

 

(1914) “On the Nature of Acquaintance,” Monist, 24: 1–16, 161–187, 435–453; reprinted in Logic and Knowledge, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1956, 127–174; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 7.

 

(1914) “The Relation of Sense-Data to Physics,” Scientia, 16: 1–27; reprinted in Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays, New York, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1918, 145–179; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 8.

 

(1918, 1919) “The Philosophy of Logical Atomism,” Monist, 28: 495–527; 29: 32–63, 190–222, 345–380; reprinted in Bertrand Russell, Logic and Knowledge, London: Allen and Unwin, 1956, 177–281; also appearing in Collected Papers, Volume 8.

 

(1919) Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, London: George Allen and Unwin; New York: The Macmillan Company.

 

(1921) The Analysis of Mind, London: George Allen and Unwin; New York: The Macmillan Company.

 

Articles from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

 

Bertrand Russell

Descriptions

Neutral Monism

Knowledge by Acquaintance vs. Description

Propositional Function

 

Secondary References

(Depends on each student’s interests.)