Event Timeslots (1)
Thursday
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The Computational Theory of Mind is the view that the human mind is fundamentally a computational system--not just metaphorically but literally: cognition arises through computational processes akin to those in computers. In this seminar, which is taught in English but addressed at Bachelor students interested in the Philosophy of Mind, we will read the introductory book by Matteo Colombo and Gualtiero Piccinini which traces this idea historically, explains its appeal for solving classic problems in philosophy of mind (like the mind-body relation), and shows how computational modeling and AI contribute to understanding mental phenomena. It also addresses challenges: making the theory compatible with how real brains work, cognition's dynamics and situatedness, intentionality, and consciousness. The authors defend and refine the computational approach. The seminar is part of our concept of research-oriented teaching which includes a workshop with the author and other scholars on the topic (June 2-3, 2026) at RUB. The workshop is part of the seminar and students are encouraged to seize the opportunity to engage with the author.
Text: Matteo Colombo & Gualtiero Piccinini (2024): The Computational Theory of Mind. Cambridge University Press.
Secondary Reading: Michael Rescorla (2024): The computational theory of mind (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/computational-mind/)