While the last century has seen many great leaps in our understanding of the world around us, many aspects of our own brains, minds and cognition remain a mystery to us. In this unit we look at various philosophical issues relating to the scientific study of cognition and the brain. Questions about the nature of cognition itself, the methodology of cognitive science and the role of cognitive science in society will be considered. Various topics such as animal cognition, the evidential value of fMRI data, evolution and the brain, embodied and situated cognition and gender and the brain will be covered.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Synthesise and analyse information from a
variety of sources concerning foundational concepts and arguments in cognitive
science and philosophy.
- Engage in
philosophical discussion and debate on the various philosophical issues relating to cognitive
science.
- Critically
assess arguments about the nature of cognition, the methodology of cognitive
science and the role of cognitive sciences in society.
- Clearly
articulate their own position with respect to contemporary real world debates
about philosophy and cognitive science.
- Be able to understand and critically evaluate evidence from a broad range of disciplines including cognitive science, psychology and neuroscience.
Indicative Assessment
Essay, 2000 words, 40% (Learning Outcomes 1-5)
Essay planning exercise, 500 words, 5% (Learning Outcomes 1-5)
Short writing exercise, 750 words, 15% (Learning Outcomes 2-5)
Tutorial participation, 10% (Learning Outcomes 1-5)
Journal 1500 words, 30% (Learning Outcomes 1-5)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of workshop and workshop-like activities.
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Areas of Interest
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Science
- Information Technology
- Neuroscience
- Intelligent Systems
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $3180 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $4890 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.