30413 - Philosophy Laboratory (1) (G.B)

Learning outcomes

The student learns to read and critically analyze philosophical texts and to write a philosophical essay.

Course contents

General Information

The Philosophy Workshop has three main purposes: training students in philosophical writing through the production of a philosophical essay; introducing them to the use of bibliographic resources; training students in how to read a classic philosophical text.

Workshops ideally require regular attendance and participation: in order to be admitted to the final exam and achieve a passing grade, students will need to have attended at least 12 out of 15 classes (i.e., 24 hours out of 30).

Students can choose from several proposals for the Philosophy Workshops: syllabi and instructor names are available on the website of the Bachelor in Philosophy program (corsi.unibo.it/1cycle/Philosophy). Up to 40 students may attend each laboratory. You may enroll via Studenti On Line (studenti.unibo.it/sol/welcome.htm), by clicking on the tab “Prenotazioni” and select the workshop of your choice.

Attendance will be verified by roll call and signature. In the light of several unpleasant episodes of signature forgery, in the event of non-conforming signatures the corresponding student will be excluded from the final exam and will have to wait until the next year to attend the Workshop again. The same standards will hold for students submitting written exams which are totally or partially plagiarized from published sources or digital texts.

Only in the event of certified inability to attend the Workshop are students allowed to arrange an alternative program with the relevant instructor. Such cases include:

a) students who work and cannot obtain specific permission to attend the Workshop. These students shall inform the instructor at the beginning of the module and provide a declaration of their employers stating their inability to attend;

b) students who are participating in exchange programs abroad (e.g., Erasmus, Overseas, etc.). These students shall promptly provide evidence to the teacher showing their inability to attend on grounds of being abroad.

During the Workshop, the instructor will provide instructions on how to write the final essay, and all students are requested to download and study the manual of philosophical writing, which can be found at corsi.unibo.it/laurea/Filosofia/laboratorio-di-filosofia-norme-per-la-redazione-del-saggio-finale (in Italian).

Specific Information

Natural and artificial minds: The Society of Mind by Marvin Minsky

“No linear story could ever describe a structure as vast as the human mind, just as one could not grasp the nature of a cathedral, a city, or a civilization by observing only one aspect and following only one itinerary” (Minsky 1985, p. 20).

During this workshop we will exercise philosophical writing, reading, and debating skills starting from a classic book in philosophy of science, which also represents one of the first attempts at exploring the similarities and differences between natural and artificial minds. While reading and discussing The Society of Mind by Marvin Minsky (1985), we will follow a conceptual itinerary that will allow students to explore several philosophical topics in philosophy of science, e.g. holism and reductionism, the nature of the self, emotions, and the relationship between organisms and their environment.

The final syllabus, including the complete list of readings and assignments, will be provided on the first day of class and then uploaded on Virtuale.

Readings/Bibliography

The final syllabus, including the complete list of readings and assignments, will be provided on the first day of class. Below you can find an initial proposal for the conceptual itinerary that we will follow. Please note that this is subject to change depending on class size and composition, and that additional reading recommendations will be provided during the course.

Required readings:

• Minsky, M. (1985). The Society of Mind. Simon & Schuster.

Proposed itinerary:

- The mind as a society of agents (chs. 1 & 2)

- Basic principles and functioning (ch. 3)

- The self (cap. 4-6)

- Problems and goals (ch. 7)

- Emotions (chs. 16 & 17)

- Cognitive abilities (chs. 18-20)

- Language (chs. 21-23)

- Frames (chs. 24-27)

- The mind and the world (chs. 28-30).

Teaching methods

This a discussion-based class, where more traditional lectures will be complemented by debates, exchange of ideas, class presentations, and a wide range of in-class and take-home activities. Special attention will be devoted to the development of core philosophical skills such as reading, writing, and debating through the discussion of the class topics.

More details on class format will be introduced during the first day of class.

Assessment methods

The requirement for seminar attendance is to participate in at least 12 out of 15 meetings.

The final grade will result from the following three components:

a) Mini-assignments and activities to be completed in class or as take-home assignments (20%);

b) In-class presentation on an agreed-upon topic (40%);

c) Final paper (about 3,000 words) to be turned in via email by a TBD date (i.e., after the end of class) (40%).

Both the presentation and the final paper will receive detailed feedback from the instructor according to the following criteria: (i) correct understanding and use of the sources; (ii) relevance to the class topics; (iii) clarity and originality; (iv) coherence and soundness of the argument.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities are entitled to special adjustments according to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities. Please do not contact the instructor, but make an appointment with the University Service directly. The Service will then determine what adjustments are appropriate, and get in touch with the teacher. For more information, please visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Teaching tools

I will avail myself of a wide range of tools to support teaching and facilitate participation while acknowledging a variety of learning styles. Besides Power point and Prezi, I will use paper handouts as well as software such as Slido, Kahoot, and Wooclap.

Office hours

See the website of Valentina Petrolini