The aim of this course is to dig deep into the foundations of Cognitive Science, examining its conceptual underpinnings. The focus will be on the nature and explanatory role of the notions of representation, computation, and cognitive architecture. We will delve into issues such as: What is a representation? How do cognitive states represent, and what determines their representational content? What does it mean to say that the cognitive system computes? What are cognitive architectures and how to assess their explanatory adequacy? We will take a look at texts in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience in trying to answer these questions.
External master students (i.e. master students of other programs of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, master students of other universities in Berlin or Brandenburg, or people not enrolled at a university in Berlin or Brandenburg at all) may acquire credits in the “Mind and Brain” Master's program only in the following way:
Attendance of seminars as part of the module "Focus Theme Mind and Brain": 10 ECTS Requirements: Two seminars must be regularly attended and presentations made (or other course requirements fulfilled) + a 20-page paper must be written (1 page = 2,000 characters without spaces) in one of the two seminars. The two seminars do not have to be attended in the same semester.
Credits from the "Mind and Brain" program cannot be acquired in any other way!
Please note that attendance certificates or credits for other course requirements fulfilled will not be awarded, in particular credits/certificates for attendance of single seminars and/or shorter papers will not be awarded. Seminars in our program must be attended as part of a module, which means that two seminars related to a module must be attended.
Please be aware that you may not combine a lecture/tutorial and a seminar in a module.
Master students of Humboldt-Universität have to register for the exams online in Agnes. Master students of other universities have to contact the "Mind and Brain" master registrar's office (Prüfungsbüro) to register: mb-admin@hu-berlin.de
The registration period is 4 weeks long and ends 1 week prior to the exam date / paper deadline.
NB: Bachelor students cannot acquire credits in the Master’s program “Mind and Brain”.
Students who are not enrolled at the Humboldt-Universität may attend the courses mentioned above as a visiting student (Nebenhörer). Those who are not enrolled at a university in Berlin or Brandenburg at all may also attend the courses mentioned above as guest auditors (Gasthörer). For more details, please visit: https://www.hu-berlin.de/de/studium/beratung/merk/gastneben_html