PHIL 230.001 – Mind, Matter, and Metaphysics: the Philosophy of Experience and Reality

Instructor: Ian Kahn. This course meets MTWRF 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. in CW 208 via in-person (IP) instruction.

This course will serve as an introduction to metaphysics. Metaphysics is the study of theories that answer the questions “What exists?” and “What are the things that exist like?” To study these topics, we will learn about some central problems in metaphysics, survey possible answers to these questions, then evaluate ways of deciding between these possible answers. Some of the metaphysical questions we are likely to focus on are: What is the nature of the mind, and what is the connection between the mind and our physical bodies? What is the nature of consciousness? Could aliens or AI systems have minds? In virtue of what can we say that we are the same person we were when we were younger? Could we survive teletransportation? Do we have free will, and are we really responsible for what we do?