Development of Mind and Science: Philosophical Inquiries 4030-DMSPI

The seminar investigates different aspects of the development of human societies and the human way of living. We will discuss texts on processes such as:

1. The emergence of entities capable of thinking and acting,
2. The emergence of humans as social beings,
3. The development of morality,
4. The development of modern science.

The seminar takes the form of an open and critical discussion. Students will be consistently invited to provide their own critical analyses of the arguments presented in the texts.

The plan of the seminar meetings (one meeting each two weeks):

1. Introduction (4h)

2. The first module (8h)
We will begin with texts on the complex relationship between the social domain, morality, and climate change. The mentioned relationships can be explored, among others, in studies on contemporary cuisine and the food industry, or on the changes in our perception of non-human animals and their rights.

We will base our discussions on the texts of authors such as:
Singer, P., Mason, J. (2007) The Ethics of What We Eat, The Text Publishing Company.
de Waal, F. (2006) Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved, Princeton University Press.
Wilson, B. (2019) The Way We Eat Now. Strategies for Eating in a World of Change, 4th Estate.

3. The second module (8h)
Then, we will concentrate on the more abstract problem of the development of human social structures. This goal will be achieved through the discussion of the social sphere of our non-human relatives and the psychological and neuronal determinants of our minds and social cognition.

We will base our discussions on the texts of authors such as:
Damasio, A. (1994) Descartes’ Error. Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain, Putnam Publishing.
Dunbar, R. (1996) Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language
Gopnik, A., Metzoff, A. N., Kuhl, P. K. (1999) The Scientist in the Crib, Harper Collins Publishers Inc.

4. The third module (8h)
We end up exploring the actual changes in our societies caused by global economic factors, especially those related to changes in the labor market.

We will base our discussions on the texts of authors such as:
Graeber, D. (2018) Bullshit Jobs. A Theory, Penguin Books.
Standing, G. (2011) The Precariat. The New Dangerous Class, Bloomsbury.

5. Final test (2h)