TTC - John Searle - Philosophy of Mind

A Teaching Company CLASSIC COURSE

The Philosophy of Mind

Course Number 424—12 lectures (45 minutes/lecture)

Taught by:
Professor John R. Searle—University of California at Berkeley



“What is the nature of the human mind?” “How does the mind fit in as part of the physical world?” “Can the mind understand the mind?” Until we can answer questions such as these, we do not understand ourselves. In a way, these are the most important problems in contemporary intellectual life, because they naturally expand into questions such as “How do human beings fit into the physical universe?”

“What is the relation of the social sciences and the natural sciences?” “Do we have freedom of the will?” and many other questions.

Any discussion of these matters has to begin with the French philosopher René Descartes, who divided the world into two parts, mind and body. Much of the philosophy of the mind since Descartes has been an effort to put the two parts of the world back together again.

Professor John Searle, one of the world’s most respected contemporary philosophers, takes us on a journey of philosophical wonder, difficulty and understanding, to try to explain the many issues raised in this field of philosophical inquiry.

One of the most controversial questions discussed by Professor Searle is whether computers can think. This question is not as clear as it appears on the surface and Professor Searle clarifies it in such a way as to give us the possibility of a clear cut answer.

The issues raised by this course are the most central the mind can ask. It is a joy to have them explained and explored with so capable a guide.


Lecture 1: Dualism— Descartes' Legacy

Lecture 2: Alternatives to Dualism—Materialism and Its Contents

Lecture 3: Strong Artificial Intelligence

Lecture 4: The Chinese- Room Argument and Its Critics

Lecture 5: Can a Machine Think?

Lecture 6: Is the Brain a Digital Computer?

Lecture 7: Some Solutions to Descartes' Problems

Lecture 8: The Structure of Consciousness

Lecture 9: How to Study Consciousness Scientifically

Lecture 10: How the Mind Works—An Introduction to Intentionality

Lecture 11: The Structure of Action and Perception

Lecture 12: The Construction of Social Reality