The mind-body problem breaks down into two questions: how can mere matter think, and how can it be conscious? We will investigate both of these issues through a critical evaluation of the principal contemporary theories of mind.

A survey of selected topics in contemporary analytic philosophy of language, including meaning, reference, naming, truth, speech acts, propositional attitudes, translation, vagueness and the nature of linguistic representation.

This course covers methods for understanding and evaluating reasoning, arguments and inferences, of the sort found in daily life, political speeches, academic writing and beyond. We address such questions as: What is the structure of an argument? What considerations are relevant for determining its strength and cogency? What sorts of appeals to quantitative and scientific data are appropriate, and what sorts aren't? How can we understand and overcome cognitive biases?

This course covers methods for understanding and evaluating reasoning, arguments and inferences, of the sort found in daily life, political speeches, academic writing and beyond. We address such questions as: What is the structure of an argument? What considerations are relevant for determining its strength and cogency? What sorts of appeals to quantitative and scientific data are appropriate, and what sorts aren't? How can we understand and overcome cognitive biases?