Philosophy of Cognitive Science:
PH 465/665
Thurs: 3:30-6:15


I. Evolution of Cognition and Culture

1.   Introduction
Sept. 3
Introduction to the course
Background on human evolution

2.   Henrich I
Sept. 10
Joseph Henrich - The Secret of Our Success Ch. 1-5

3.   Henrich II
Sept. 17
Joseph Henrich - The Secret of Our Success Ch. 6-9

4.   Henrich III
Sept. 24
Joseph Henrich - The Secret of Our Success Ch. 10-13

5.   Henrich IV
Oct. 1
Joseph Henrich - The Secret of Our Success Ch. 14-17

6.   Essay Workshop
Oct. 8
TBD

Essay 1 due: Friday, Oct. 9, 6:00 pm


II. Evolutionary Moral & Political Philosophy

7.   Groupishness
Oct. 15
Jonathan Haidt - The Righteous Mind Ch. 9-10
Scott Alexander - "I Can Tolerate Anything Except the Outgroup"

8.   Epistemological Tribalism
Oct. 22
Dan Kahan - "Ideology, Motivated Reasoning, and Cognitive Reflection"
David Roberts - "Donald Trump and the Rise of Tribalist Epistemology"
Andrew Sullivan - "America Wasn't Built for Humans"

9.   Evo-Conservatism
Oct. 29
Arnold Kling - "Cultural Intelligence"
David Goldhill - "How American Healthcare Killed My Father"
Allen Buchanan and Russell Powell - "Demoralization and the Evolution of Invalid Moral Norms"

10. The 2020 U.S. Election
Nov. 5
TBD

11.   Social Moral Epistemology
Nov. 12 
Elizabeth Anderson - The Imperative of Integration (selections)
Elizabeth Anderson - "Social Movements, Experiments in Living, and Moral Progress

12.   Tribes, Societies, and Progress
Nov. 19
Victor Kumar and Richmond Campbell - A Better Ape, Preface, Introduction, Ch. 6-8

Thanksgiving
Nov. 26
NO CLASS

13.   Evo-Progressivism
Dec. 3
Victor Kumar and Richmond Campbell - A Better Ape, Ch. 9-10, Conclusion

14. Essay Workshop
Dec. 10
TBD

Essay 2 due: Friday, Dec. 11, 6:00pm


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Photo by Daniel Star