PHL 371 ZOMBIES, ROBOTS, AND BRAINS!

We experience consciousness firsthand. But who else is conscious? What about animals? Robots and supercomputers? Alexa? How can we tell the difference between people and replicants, cylons or body snatchers? Can consciousness exist without brains or other underlying physical structures? Can brains exist without consciousness? (Are your classmates zombies? Are you sure?) How is it possible for neural networks to "generate" consciousness? In this philosophy of mind course, we’ll explore cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and science fiction to search for where consciousness can be found. We’ll look at the range of answers that have been offered, from “nowhere” to “everywhere,” and we’ll see if we can discover our own criteria for figuring out whether something or someone is conscious.