This course will examine some scientific, philosophical and social questions around consciousness. What does it mean for humans to be conscious? Is consciousness located in the brain and body, or in an immaterial self? Is consciousness something that living things other than humans possess, and if so, how do we know? Are robots and artificial intelligence conscious? How is being conscious related to being a person, for ethical and legal purposes? We won’t give definitive answers to these questions, but we will look to science and philosophy, literature and film, and popular culture for some current ideas.
Instructor
Donna Engelmann is recently retired from the philosophy department at Alverno College, where she taught ethics, political philosophy and introduction to philosophy for 28 years. She earned her PhD in political philosophy and a graduate certificate in alternative dispute resolution… read more