In this interdisciplinary course, we will discuss and evaluate recent debates about what Theory of Mind (ToM) is, and who has one. Specifically, we will consider questions about whether, and in what ways, ToM is uniquely human; and about the developmental trajectory of ToM in human evolution, history, and across the lifespan. The course will involve philosophical discussions about the nature of ToM, and close readings of empirical papers reporting studies of humans, great apes, and monkeys.
Indicative readings:
Apperly, I. A., & Butterfill, S. A. (2009). Do humans have two systems to track beliefs and belief-like states?. Psychological review, 116(4), 953.
Heyes, C. M., & Frith, C. D. (2014). The cultural evolution of mind reading. Science, 344(6190), 1243091.
Moore, R. (2021). The cultural evolution of mind-modelling. Synthese, 199(1), 1751-1776.
Tomasello, M. (2018). How children come to understand false beliefs: A shared intentionality account. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(34), 8491-8498.
