UNSW Handbook Course - Minds, Bodies and Persons

Minds, Bodies and Persons - PHIL1011


	Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
	School: School of History and Philosophy
	Course Outline: http://philosophy.arts.unsw.edu.au/
	Campus: Kensington Campus
	Career: Undergraduate
	Units of Credit: 6
	EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
	Contact Hours per Week: 3
	Fee Band: 1 (more info)
	Further Information: See Class Timetable

Description

What are we, what are we like? What is a person? Are only humans persons? Are we mind, body or both? These are among the most puzzling and compelling questions that humans can ask. An introduction to some of the many ways philosophers have approached these and related questions. Some philosophical perspectives on the subject have a moral focus, some a psychological, some a computational, some a political. We look at the works of ancient philosophers and of philosophers working today.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will have a general knowledge and understanding of:

Foundational arguments for mind/body dualism in accounts of the nature of personhood and of the difference between persons and non-persons
Some important recent views about the nature of mind and how consciousness and other factors contribute to personal identity, agency, and a sense of self
Some alternative views about the role of the body in personhood, agency, and interpersonal relations
Relationships between concepts of self and understandings of social relations

More generally, students should also be able to:

Analyse and reconstruct arguments in philosophical texts
Analyse concepts and employ them to address 'real world' issues
Engage in critical analysis and well-considered argument, both verbally and in writing.

Assessment

Tutorial participation - 10%
Two tutorial exercises - 30%
Essay 1 (1500 words) - 30%
Essay 2 (1500 words) - 30%

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