Philosophy of mind

Duration

30h Th

Number of credits

Lecturer

Jacopo Pallagrosi

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course focuses on the phenomenon of attention and surveys its role in our mental lives, with particular emphasis on questions concerning its nature, its relationship to phenomenal consciousness, its epistemic significance, and its moral and political importance. Despite the pervasive and crucial roles that attention plays in perception, cognition, and action, its nature remains controversial, and many philosophical questions concerning attention remain comparatively underexplored.

The course is divided into four modules. The first is devoted to the metaphysics of attention and examines different accounts of what attention is. The second focuses on the relationship between attention and phenomenal consciousness, including the question of whether attention is necessary for consciousness and the ways in which attention may affect phenomenal experience. The third turns to the epistemology of attention, investigating the role of attention in justification, knowledge, and introspection. The fourth examines the moral and political significance of attention, including questions concerning the appropriate distribution of attention, attentional injustice, and the contemporary attention economy.

More specifically, some of the questions we will address are the following:

• What is the nature and functional role of attention?
• What are the main philosophical theories of attention?
• Is attention necessary for consciousness? Or does consciousness overflow attention?
• How does attention modify the phenomenal character of experience?
• What role does attention play in generating knowledge and justifying our beliefs?
• What role does attention play in the acquisition of introspective knowledge?
• Can the allocation of attention itself be subject to moral evaluation?
• What ethical problems arise from the social distribution of attention and contemporary attention markets?

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

By the end of the course,

(i) you will be familiar with the main theses and debates concerning attention within analytic philosophy of mind, as well as with its connections to epistemology and moral and political philosophy, and you will have developed your own ideas on these issues;

(ii) you will have strengthened your ability to understand and analyze a contemporary philosophical text and to critically evaluate a philosophical argument;

(iii) you will be encouraged to develop your own philosophical ideas and to actively engage in philosophical discussion.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Bachelor in Philosophy.

Understanding written and spoken English is required. The course will be taught in English, and all teaching materials will also be in English. Students may, however, express themselves entirely in French in all written and oral work (including the essay, questions submitted before class, in-class contributions, and all exchanges with the instructor). A good command of written and spoken English is nevertheless essential.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Each class will be based on the required reading assigned for that session (see course schedule) and will normally be structured around the following activities:

• Contextualization of the reading within the relevant philosophical debate.
• Reconstruction of the author's main thesis and central arguments.
• Critical discussion of the arguments, objections, and broader implications.

• Arriving on time.
• Participating actively in class discussions.
• Completing the required reading before each session.
• Submitting one substantive question about the assigned reading by midnight on the day before the session.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
- MyULiège


Further information:

Text to consult for a fairly comprehensive and systematic introduction to the topic:

• Wu, Wayne (2014). Attention. London/New York: Routledge.

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam AND oral exam

Written work / report

Continuous assessment


Further information:

Components of Assessment

The final grade will take into account the following elements:

• Attendance. Class attendance is mandatory.
• Class participation (pass/fail).
• First essay (draft, pass/fail).
• Final essay + oral exam = 100%.

• (i) attending every class session;
• (ii) reading each required article or chapter before the session to which it is assigned;
• (iii) sending me, before midnight on the day preceding the session, at least one question about the required reading. Over the course of the semester, each student must submit a question for at least 6 of the 10 required readings.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Course schedule: see syllabus.

Contacts

Jacopo Pallagrosi
Department of Philosophy
7, Place du 20-août, Building A1/2nd floor
B-4000 Liège
email: jacopo.pallagrosi@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs

There is no MOOC associated with this course.