WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF PSYCHOLOGY?

There is a long tradition in philosophy where philosophers attend to the nature, limits, and aspirations of science in general. The increased specialization of scientists themselves, however, has precipitated a parallel development in the philosophy of science. Thus, in addition to general philosophy of science research, it is now common to find philosophers investigating the foundations of particular sciences. Three sciences — physics, biology, and psychology — have received the most attention, as the philosophical issues within these fields have crystallized in a particularly challenging and intriguing way. This is a course in the philosophy of psychology. The aim is not to tell psychologists how to conduct their research, but rather to situate psychology within the wider fabric of intellectual inquiry.

Of course, psychology is itself a diverse discipline. In principle it is possible to conduct a philosophical inquiry into any one of the various strands of psychological research, where these include, for example, clinical psychology, social psychology, or neuropsychology. We will concentrate primarily on cognitive psychology, but there will be a substantial overlap with certain kinds of social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. (We will not ask after issues in psychoanalysis or psychological counseling.)

On the surface, there is something strange about psychological claims. Psychology tells us that the complex behavior of human beings (and other sophisticated creatures) is mediated by seemingly unobservable mental states playing a role in seemingly hidden mental processes. What gives contemporary psychologists confidence in this account? Are these mental states made of matter? If they are, why are they not directly observable? If they are not, why should we believe in them? Are mental processes 'just' chemical processes? If they are, is psychology a kind of crude biochemistry? Or is it a really sophisticated biochemistry? Will psychology ultimately be replaced by neuroscience? (Indeed, has it already been replaced by neuroscience?)

These are some of the questions of the philosophy of psychology.

DO I NEED TO KNOW ANY PSYCHOLOGY TO TAKE THIS COURSE?

Whenever philosophers study a specialized domain of inquiry, there is a danger that their misunderstandings of that domain will overwhelm any positive contribution they may offer. Thus, it is usually expected that, to pursue philosophy of 'x', one must know a fair bit about 'x' in advance. Strictly speaking, this course does not require that students have taken any college-level psychology. There is no question, however, that students with some knowledge of psychology (or related areas of neuroscience or computer science) will be better situated in this seminar, as some of our discussions will presuppose a basic familiarity with some of the major results in contemporary psychology.

If you have no background at all in contemporary psychology, or if you want to be sure that you have at your fingertips the sorts of results in psychology that will figure most prominently in the second half of this course, there are at least two excellent books written for a lay audience. You may wish to purchase or borrow one or the other of these:

Cummins, D.	(1995) The Other Side of Psychology. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Pinker, S.	(1997) How the Mind Works. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

I prefer Denise Cummins' book. Pinker's book is thorough and well-written, but you may wish to skip or skim the material that emphasizes evolutionary aspects of psychology as these are controversial.

FROM THE COURSE CATALOG

It is sometimes alleged that all of science reduces to physics. If this is true, it presents an obvious puzzle: Why do people waste their time doing chemistry, geology, biology, or psychology? One standard answer is that it would be too difficult to conduct all the sciences in terms of physics. This is right, but illuminates only the least interesting part of the picture.

Our focus will be on psychology, as this field presents some of the more difficult and exciting challenges in the philosophy of science. We will critically investigate the claim that psychology engages in a manner of explanation all its own. Along the way, we will tour the history of psychology from the enlightenment through this century. This is a course for philosophers who are hoping for an introduction to the philosophy of psychology, for cognitive scientists who are hoping for a better understanding of what an explanation in psychology is, and for anyone curious as to whether physics exhausts science.

REQUIRED TEXTS (Available at Water Street books)

Block, N.	(1980) Readings in Philosophy of Psychology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. (Also on reserve in Sawyer Library.)
Haugeland, J.	(1997) Mind Design II: Philosophy, Psychology, Artificial Intelligence. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (Also on reserve in Sawyer Library.)
Huber, R. J., et al	(2000) Cornerstones of Psychology: Readings in the History of Psychology. Orlando: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

GRADING

Grading on all written work will be anonymous. Please turn in all of your papers with only your Williams ID number on it.

Anonymous grading is one way of assuring that the collegiality of our interactions does not cloud my assessment of your work. Grading blindly is not a perfect mechanism for this purpose, and it is not intended to be. One crucial disadvantage to anonymous grading is that the instructor will not know when your work is systematically inadequate and will not approach you with concerns about your writing. As a result, there is an additional burden of maturity and responsibility on your shoulders. You must elect to visit office hours and to seek out opportunities to improve your writing.

The desire to preserve the integrity of the anonymous grading system should never prevent you from seeking advice on assignments for this course. You are welcome to speak with me with your work in hand. Naturally this will reveal facts of authorship, and may give me some insight into your style and interests. Still, your success in meeting the challenges of this course should always be our first concern.

1. Weekly précis

You are required to write 9 précis. Your efforts on these weekly assignments should be primarily expository. Summarize one or two crucial themes of the reading. These short summaries are intended to stimulate class discussion.

For any week with two class meetings, you may write for EITHER our Tuesday meeting or our Friday meeting. The goal is to have you write on readings before they have been discussed in class. Papers will be due at the beginning of the class you write for.

Not counting the first class meeting or the week when the first essay is due, there are 11 weeks of class. Again, you are required to write for only 9 of these weeks.

2 pages (3 maximum). Typewritten, double spaced in a 12 point font. No title page. 30% of final grade.

 

2. Two Papers

3. Participation

Discussion is essential to the vitality of the class. Thoughtful participation in class discussion is also one indicator that you are reading carefully. Thus, the instructor reserves the privilege of treating participation as constituting up to 10% of the final grade.

Many students are concerned with this aspect of the classroom dynamic, but it should not be a source of anxiety. Keep in mind that your first priority is reading the assignments carefully and working diligently on the writing for the course. Thoughtful, honest, and respectful participation derives from these. Every effort will be made to ensure that the class is a welcoming forum for sharing serious ideas. In addition, 'participation' is more inclusive than many students realize. Being attentive and engaged in class, asking clarificatory questions, and discussing aspects of the course with the instructor during office hours all fall under this heading.

CLASS RESOURCES

The instructor holds office meetings each week. Students are welcome to visit individually or in groups.

Tuesdays	10am-11:15am
Thursdays	2pm-4pm
Fridays	11am-12:30pm

Students with disabilities who may need disability-related classroom accommodations for this course are encouraged to set up an appointment to meet with me as soon as possible and to contact the Dean's Office (at extension 4262) to better insure that accommodations are provided in a timely manner.

Schedule of Topics and Readings

HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

CONTEMPORARY COGNITIVISM