TOPICS COVERED: Philosophy of Mind, Brain Science, Epistemology

The aim of the "Fun Philosophy" series of classes is to discuss the most interesting topics in Philosophy, because if we enjoy our first experiences of thinking, then this encourages kids to keep going (see my other class listing for examples). So this is a great way to get hooked on THINKING, by starting with an easily accessible and enjoyable topic. Kids can then use their new thinking SUPER POWERS in all different kinds of situations, from everyday decisions to academia to even just impressing our friends. No previous experience necessary, just a willingness to think about the topics introduced and to have some fun having your mind blown! (in a good way). I teach in the tradition of Western Analytical Philosophy, stemming from Ancient Greece to modern times, which means we focus on rational logical arguments and how to critically analyse them.

▬▬▬▬▬▬  CLASS SUMMARY  ▬▬▬▬▬
Brains are amazingly complicated and made up of trillions of interconnected neurons. But how does this lead to our lived experience? in the Philosophical literature this is referred to as Phenomenal Consciousness. We can kind of understand how computers can seem to do clever things, like play chess, but do they feel anything when they win? We can disect a bat's brain and see that it mainly uses echo location to navigate the world, but what-is-it-like to be a bat? We will probably never know! We look at some theories that discuss the possibility of (philosophical) zombies and whether we can ever understand everything about ourselves; maybe its just too hard a problem to solve. In the end you can decide which theory you prefer and if you think science can solve the problem one day or not!

▬▬▬▬▬▬  CLASS STYLE  ▬▬▬▬▬
I use PowerPoint presentations for all my classes, so I can mix text and multimedia and make the class more interesting. This class will be run using an "intro-discussion-repeat" format. This means I will take a few minutes to introduce a topic, usually via a fun easily accessible thought experiment, and then we will pause to discuss it briefly. Then we'll move on to the next related topic and another great thought experiment and pause for discussion after that one too. This means that you can enjoy the class however you like. Speak up and get involved in the discussions, or just listen and enjoy with no pressure. If you like this class then you check out my other Fun Philosophy Courses, cherry picked to choose the most interesting, accessible and relevant philosophy subjects for kids, so they learn to enjoy thinking.

▬▬▬▬▬▬  LINKED TOPICS  ▬▬▬▬▬
Fun Philosophy: I Think Therefore I Am. Did Descartes Prove We Exist? Maybe Not!
Fun Philosophy: Does Our Evolution Control Us? Can Selfish Genes Allow Altruism?
Fun Philosophy: Do We (Accurately) Hallucinate the World All the Time? Even Now!

You can also take all six of my FUN PHILOSOPHY classes as a multi-day course:
Fun Intro to Philosophy: Knowledge, Metaphysics, Mind, Self, Evolution & Morals

Please see my class listings for more details!