Cognitive Science 1: The Ghost in the Machine

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

What is it to be an intelligent embodied person? One common view is that mind and body belong to two different metaphysical realms, fused together in us as if we were a combined ‘ghost in a machine’ (to use the famous words of the philosopher, Gilbert Ryle, spoken 50 years ago). Few people believe such a view can work, but what should replace it? We look at a number of different ‘materialist’ theories, concentrating on variants of the computer model, and on neuro-physiologically based accounts of mind. In doing so, we examine some of the basic issues underlying cognitive science as an interdisciplinary study of the mind, taking in topics from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, evolutionary theory, biology and philosophy.

Early Modern Philosophy

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

The module introduces some assumptions, arguments and ideas from the following major philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries that ground the empiricist and rationalist traditions: Descartes, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Spinoza. You will examine these assumptions, arguments and ideas in the context of contemporary discussions of the issues, in order to better understand both the concerns which lie at the heart of much contemporary philosophy and the history of those concerns.

Paradox and Argument

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module aims to introduce you to logical concepts and strategies by way of considering some well known philosophical paradoxes and arguments, eg the paradox of the stone (or omnipotence), the argument for fatalism from God's omniscience, and arguments against the coherence of time travel. The notions of truth, functionality and validity will be introduced, along with strategies for establishing the validity of arguments using truth tables.

Cognition in Clinical Contexts

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module will introduce you to the aims, methods, theories and empirical findings associated with a scientific approach to studying the human mind. You will learn how psychologists develop models of cognitive function that are tested against data from behavioural studies of healthy individuals, as well as from individuals with brain damage or psychopathology. The module will cover five core topics: perception, attention, memory, thinking and language. Each topic will begin with one or two background lectures that introduce key concepts and experimental approaches. The background lectures are followed by a lecture which addresses the topic from a neuropsychological approach, considering how that aspect of cognition is affected by brain injury - covering material such as agnosia, dyslexia and amnesia - as well as a lecture covering the topic from a more psychopathological approach - covering material such as attentional biases in anxiety and disordered thought in schizophrenia.

Contemporary Issues in Psychology

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module will introduce both psychology students and non-psychology students to a variety of contemporary topics in psychology. Topics vary from year to year, but would typically include: evolutionary psychology; comparative psychology; polylingualism; brain imaging; and gender differences. You do not need any prior knowledge of psychology to take this module.

Existentialism

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

Introduction to Programming

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

The module introduces you to a collection of basic programming concepts and techniques, including designing, testing, debugging and documenting programmes.  

For both absolute beginners and those with prior computing experience, the module introduces the programming language Java, a language used for other components of undergraduate modules. Java will be the primary language used for programming assignments in nearly all first year modules taught by the department of Informatics.  

You do not need previous experience of programming to take this module, but you will need basic knowledge of NT/Windows2000/XP.

Logic and Meaning

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

In this module you will be introduced to the basic ideas and methods of (modern) elementary formal logic. The emphasis will be on using logic as a tool to evaluate arguments. You will be introduced to logical concepts such as truth-functionality, logical form, subject/predicate, validity, and derivability. We will also consider related issues concerning meaning, such as the meaning of ordinary-language conditionals; the distinction between literal meaning and conversational implicatures, and the distinction between referring expressions and quantifiers.

Neuroscience and Behaviour

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

The module deals with nervous and hormonal bases for sensory perception and behavioural action by humans and other animals.

You will be introduced to the basic components of the nervous systems: neurons, synapses and neurotransmitters, and learn how neurons transmit signals and processes information. You will also cover specialisation of the cerebral cortex, looking at lateralisation and language, as well as sensory processing and perception, exemplified by the visual pathway from the eye to specialised feature detectors in the cortex. Finally, lectures on feeding deal with neural and hormonal controls in behaviour.

Principles of Cognitive Science

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module considers cognitive science as a discipline in its own right, with a distinctive approach to studying the mind. You will be introduced to the range of techniques and tools that cognitive scientists use to study the mind. You will learn about the main theoretical models that cognitive scientists are currently using, and how those models can explain various aspects of cognition. The module covers both the achievements that cognitive scientists have made, and the challenges that lie ahead.

Psychobiology

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This is a first-year core module that offers students a first overview of the various topic areas relevant to understanding human and non-human animal behavior from a biological and/or evolutionary perspective.

The module begins by discussing the basic anatomy of the peripheral and central nervous systems (brain and spinal cord), as well as the structure and physiological function of nervous cells (neurons), including synaptic neurotransmission, hormonal actions, and intracellular electrical processes. Additionally, an introduction to systems neuropsychology is given and the effects of drugs on neuronal functioning are discussed.

Next, brain-behaviour relations are discussed in greater detail focusing on three broad topic areas: First, the biological basis of emotions are considered from a hormonal and brain systems perspective. Second, essential motivated behaviors are considered by exploring both homeostatic and non-homeostatic peripheral and central mechanisms underlying drinking and eating behaviour. Third, the brain mechanisms that allow organisms to acquire, store and retrieve new information and alter their behaviours are discussed focussing on historical and recent experimental findings from studies on human- and non-human learning and memory.

The final section of the module takes a more evolutionary perspective to explore how many components and aspect of human behaviour have been shaped by adaptation and selection, relying on field studies into the foundations of animal behaviour.

Reading Philosophy

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

The aim of this module is to spend time reading a small number of philosophical texts (perhaps just one) very closely. Different tutors may choose different texts. You will learn to look at philosophical texts closely as philosophical texts. That is, you will be taught to develop the kind of attentiveness to detail which is important philosophically

Science and Reason

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

Science has a special status in our understanding of the world. Several of the earlier philosophers of the modern era were active and innovative scientists in their own right, and the model of scientific understanding has shaped the way philosophy has been done right up to the present day. Some have tried to develop a specifically scientific kind of philosophy; others have tried to separate the task of philosophy from that of science. This module will pursue questions about the relation between science and philosophy, looking in detail at particular texts (which may be drawn from any period) for which these issues are important

Society, State and Humanity

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

The module surveys a number of fundamental answers given by Western thinkers to the question 'what is society', exploring them in conjunction with answers to the questions 'what is the state?' and 'what is a human being?'. There will be a particular focus on the question of whether humans can be said to exist prior to society or only as constituted by it. Conceptions of society, state and humanity studied may include those of Plato, Aristotle, St. Paul, Hobbes, Smith, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Durkheim, Freud, and feminist and postmodern critiques of these.

Truth and Morality: The Meaning of Life

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module is concerned with central issues of morality – examining both the kinds of considerations which might be appealed to in moral arguments, and the status of moral arguments themselves. What should we bear in mind when deciding whether to eat meat, or whether to help someone, or whether to fight a war? In what sense are the decisions we make right? How can a moral argument be a good argument? Are some people wiser than others? Is there any truth in moral relativism? These and related issues will be tackled from a range of theoretical positions.

Kant

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The work of the German Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant continues to have an extraordinary influence in philosophy. As well as its contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of mind, moral philosophy and aesthetics, it offers one of the most significant and intricate reflections on the nature of philosophy itself. The course provides an introduction to some of the central issues in Kant's theoretical and practical philosophy. Topics to be covered include: Kant's doctrine of the subjective nature of space and time; causation; the self and self-identity; freedom and moral agency; duty and the moral law; and the question as to the meaning and coherence of Kant's 'idealism'. There are a few books you might like to look at before the course: Allen Wood's Kant and Henry E. Allison's Kant's Transcendental Idealism and Kant's Theory of Freedom, and Sebastian Gardner's Routledge Philosophy Guidebook, Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason. Roger Scruton's Kant, in the Past Masters series (reissued as Kant: A Very Short Introduction) also provides a good starting point.

Abnormal and Clinical Psychology

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module introduces you to the main diagnostic categories of psychological disorders, the major theories of causation and approaches to treatment, and encourages you to appreciate the links between the theory and the treatment of those disorders.

Aesthetics

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Broadly speaking, aesthetics is concerned with two sorts of philosophical questions: questions about aesthetic experience and judgment, and questions about art. They are connected insofar as art is thought to be one of the primary sources of aesthetic experience. However, not every question in aesthetics is about art; and not all questions about art are about aesthetic experience. This module will tackle questions raised by aesthetics in this wide sense, and will approach them from an 'analytic' perspective.

Brain and Behaviour

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module provides an introduction to brain mechanisms and behaviour. Topics covered will normally include: functional neuroanatomy of the human brain; ionic mechanisms underlying the nerve action potential; synapses and neurotransmission; neuropharmacology of commonly used anxiolytic drugs; neural mechanisms in emotion and motor behaviour; and neural mechanisms underlying plasiticity and learning.

Cognitive Psychology

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module will comprise 24 one-hour lectures, two two-hour practicals and two one-hour seminars (linked to the practicals). The lectures will provide a broad coverage of cognitive psychology topics, from basic perception to thinking. Lectures will include material on individual differences where appropriate.

Sensory systems and visual perception: 

1. Introduction to the sensory systems
2. Physiology and psychophysics of perception
3. Theories of perception
4. The visual system

Sound & speech perception: 

1. Sound production and perception
2. Speech production and perception
3. Categorical perception of speech sounds
4. Evolution of speech and language

Attention: 

1. Attention: What in the devil is it?
2. Listen Up! The better to hear the world
3. Eyes RIGHT! The better to see the world
4. Select or Else! The better to act upon the world

Memory: 

1. Short term and working memory
2. Encoding in Long term memory
3. Forgetting and Retrieval
4. Implicit Memory

Language: 

1. Word meaning and concepts
2. Word reading and dyslexia (will include material on individual differences)
3. Text comprehension (also material on individual differences)
4. Language and thought 

Thinking: 

1. Problem Solving
2. Expertise and Creativity
3. Hypothesis Testing and Everyday Reasoning
4. Rationality and Irrationality

Practical 1: Categorical perception of speech sounds.
Practical 2: Reading equipment

Developmental Psychology

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module provides you with a basic grounding in developmental psychology from birth to adulthood. Examples of topics that may be covered include: prenatal development; perceptual development; attachment; temperament; theories of cognitive development; children’s understanding of the world; conceptual change; gender development; adolescent development; and language development. 

Epistemology

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Epistemology is a central philosophical area and pertains to issues concerned with knowledge and how we acquire it. Though informed by certain important historical debates and figures, this module will concentrate on current issues in contemporary epistemology.

Questions addressed will include: What is knowledge? Is certain knowledge a genuine possibility? What makes a belief justified? Is there such a thing as epistemic virtue? What are the special problems surrounding inductive knowledge? Does one have special privileged access to knowledge about one's own mind? How might perception best be characterised?

Feminist Philosophy

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Feminist philosophy covers a range of issues. At the applied end, it is concerned with issues of particular political relevance to women, such as discrimination and equality, and ethical issues surrounding reproduction. At the more abstract end, it is concerned with whether Western philosophical approaches and conclusions are themselves a product of patriarchy. You will explore such themes.

Neural Circuits

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module will teach you about neural mechanisms generating animal behaviour. The level of analysis emphasises types of behaviour that can be understood in terms of underlying neural circuits or specific structures with well­ known neural architectures within the brain.

Topics covered include:

• organisation and modulation of central pattern generator (CPG) circuits
• advanced techniques for monitoring and manipulating neural circuits
• modelling of neural circuits
• sensory and motor functions of spinal cord circuits
• brain circuits underlying motor control
• circuits underlying non-associative and associative learning
• addiction and learning circuits
• defects in circuits
• development of neural circuits

Perception and Reality

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

It is in perception that we are most obviously aware of the world, so our understanding of perception shapes both our conception of the way in which we can be aware of the world, and our conception of the world of which we can be aware. This module examines philosophical theories of perception, such as sense-datum theories and disjuctivism, as well as the different forms of idealism and realism which are associated with such theories.

Phenomenology

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Over 50 years ago, Merleau-Ponty began his great work The Phenomenology of Perception with the words: "what is phenomenology?" It may seem strange that this question has still to be asked half a century after the first works of Husserl appeared. The aim of this module is to continue to ask that question about the nature of what has become one of the most important philosophical movements in the last hundred years, and it does so by examining some of the key texts of the philosophers most influenced by, and most critical of, the founder of that movement, Edmund Husserl (1859-1938). These philosophers include Heidegger (1889-1976), Sartre (1905-1980), Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961), Levinas (1906-1995), and Derrida (1930-2004), and they cannot be properly understood unless their relationship to Husserl's philosophy is examined.

Overall, phenomenology attempts to focus on "how" things appear to us rather than simply asking "what" these things are. Themes to be discussed include the nature of perception, the role of the sciences, the impact of emotions, the body and intersubjectivity.

A reader with photocopies of the most important texts for this module can be purchased in the first session.

Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module examines various materialist conceptions of the mind, especially the functionalist vision of the mind as a kind of computer program running in the brain. Symbolic and connectionist versions of this view are described and compared. The complex issues surrounding the scientific explanation of consciousness and experience are discussed.

Philosophy and Science of Consciousness

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module examines the problems and prospects for a science of consciousness. Topics include: defining consciousness, the Hard Problem, the Knowledge Argument against physicalism, qualia, theories of the self, the neuroscience of consciousness, attention and volition, machine consciousness, the evolution and function of consciousness, the Grand Illusion theory.

Philosophy of Mind

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module will examine the nature of the mind, employing the procedures of analytic philosophy. We will be concerned with the nature of thought and of mental representation, addressing such questions as the following. How are mental properties and physical properties related? Are beliefs and desires the causes of actions? Could we have thoughts even if there were no world? What grounds the authority we appear to have over claims about the contents of our own minds? How are we to understand the nature of consciousness ?

Philosophy of Religion

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module aims to encourage engagement with different perspectives on the philosophy of religion drawing on analytic and continental sources. We start with a methodological discussion and an examination of different approaches to the question how philosophy can contribute to religious knowledge and understanding. Topics include the existence of God, providence and free will, and the morality of afterlife. One question that arises out of this discussion concerns the appropriateness of treating `God' as a peculiar kind of object. We consider this question in relation to phenomenological and existentialist approaches that focus on religious experience and also approaches that focus on the meaning of religious terms and the nature of belief. We conclude with a consideration of current debates about religion and science and the role of religion in everyday life.

Philosophy of Science

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The philosophy of science explores, among other things: the nature of laws and scientific explanation; the distinctive character of science and of how science progresses; realism/anti-realism about the theoretical entities posited by scientific theories. This module will introduce you to these issues and the central arguments involved. You will also explore notions integral to science, such as time, natural kinds, counterfactual support and causation.

Plato

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

In this module we will look at some central themes in the works of Plato, concentrating especially on ethics and metaphysics. We will examine the attempts to define virtues in some supposedly early dialogues, and the central Socratic ethical claim that it is impossible to do wrong knowingly. These issues will be pursued into the central moral argument of the Republic. We will also look at the so-called 'theory of forms' as it appears in various dialogues, including (especially) the Republic and the criticisms of it which are made in the Parmenides. We will consider Plato's philosophy of art in connection with the theory of forms.

Principles of Neuroscience

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

In the first half of this module we will study in detail how plants sense their environment (plant growth regulators), take up nutrients (ion transport and membrane properties) and photosynthesise (carbohydrate synthesis, phloem translocation and sink tissue metabolism). We will then focus on the molecular biology of plants, and topics covered will include compartmentation of plant DNA, plant gene expression, and the plant genome. This will lead on to lectures on plant genetic manipulation and the application of such technologies.

Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module examines the historical origins, perspectives, theories, methods, and empirical findings of research in the area of developmental psychology, with attention given to cognitive, language, social, emotional, and atypical development. The core emphasis will be on major theories and research findings regarding psychological processes during infancy, childhood and adolescence. The module does not require any prior knowledge of psychology.

Current Issues in Cognitive Science

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module familiarises you with topics at the leading edge of scientific and philosophical progress in the rapidly evolving area of cognitive science. It provides insights into the range of methods used to research those topics and the theories behind those methods. Drawing on previous cognitive science courses, this module looks to the future development of cognitive science and prepares you to participate in it.

Development of the Nervous System

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The human adult nervous system consists of a wide range of specialised cell types that make up the brain, central and peripheral nervous system, as well as specialised sensory organs such as the eye and ear. These different neuronal cell types arise from a common progenitor during development, and furthermore, many of the essential genetic elements required for their development have been retained across different species during evolution. This module will cover selected highlights of contemporary research findings from drosophila, chicken and mouse developmental biology that have informed our emergent understanding of the genes and cellular processes involved in nervous system development and organisation, that will likely impact on the ability to repair spinal cord injuries and treat neurodegenerative disorders in your generation.

Ethics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module will look at the central questions in normative ethics and meta-ethics. These will include: what makes an action right; whether there are moral rules; whether there are moral facts, and if so, how they can be known; whether there are external moral reasons; and of the relation between moral truths and non-moral truths. Positions to be examined include non-cognitivism, naturalism, non-naturalism, internalism and externalism.

Figures in Analytic Philosophy

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module will look in detail at the position and arguments of one or more major figures in analytic philosophy, such as Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Kripke or Lewis.

Figures in Classical Philosophy

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module will look in detail at the positions and arguments of one or more major figures in classical philosophy. The module will often focus on Aristotle, considering his metaphysics, or his ethical theory, or both, but it may sometimes deal with philosophers in the Hellenistic and Roman periods of the classical European tradition, and it may sometimes deal with classical philosophers of other traditions.

Figures in Post-Kantian Philosophy

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

In this module you will look in detail at the position and arguments of a major figure in post-Kantian philosophy, such as Hegel or Heidegger.

Figures in Social and Political Philosophy

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

In this module you will look in detail at the position and arguments of a major figure in social political philosophy, such as Rawls, Marx or Habermas.

Generative Creativity

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The module will introduce the use of generative creativity (GC) in a variety of areas selected from music, art, architecture, design, engineering and literature. The majority of the module will focus on examining a number of case studies that demonstrate the variety of approaches taken by existing GC systems. The module teaching is very much hands-on and programming is required. Although the module is not primarily philosophical in orientation, it will involve discussion on the nature of creativity, its definition and evaluation, by referring to the work of creativity researchers in a variety of disciplines from cognitive science to psychology.

Human-Computer Interaction

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Human computer interaction (HCI) is concerned with understanding and designing interactive technologies from a people-centred perspective. This HCI module will give an introduction to the basic principles, methods and developments in HCI, with the objective of getting you to think constructively and analytically about how to design and evaluate interactive technologies, with opportunities to apply the principles and methods in practice. Topics include: principles of design, evaluating interactive technologies, understanding users, generating requirements, prototyping and iterative evaluation.

Intelligence in Animals and Machines

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The module will develop your understanding of what it means for an animal or a machine to behave intelligently, and how brain and behavioural systems are adapted to enable an animal to cope effectively within its environment. You will consider diverse aspects of intelligence, including navigation and motor control, numerical, language, memory and social skills. You will explore how these are related to one another and how they are matched to the particular needs of animals and machines.

Islamic Philosophy

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Language, Truth and Literature

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Drawing on resources from analytical philosophy, continental philosophy and literary theory as well as engaging with particular fictional and poetic works, this module offers a critical investigation into some of the most important issues in the philosophical treatment of literature, narrative and fiction. You consider topics such as: metaphor and metaphorical meaning; the relation between fiction and truth; the logical status of fiction; and intentionality and interpretation. You explore questions such as: what does it tell us about language that something like literature is possible? Is there a type of understanding proper to the understanding of a poem? Why is philosophy troubled by fiction and fictionality?

Metaphysics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Modern European Philosophy

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The module will offer a thematically nuanced investigation into the work of some of the key European philosophers of the past two hundred years. Figures to be studied might include: Hegel, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger, Levinas, Lukacs. Adorno, Arendt, Foucault, Derrida and Habermas. You can also expect to examine some of the most signifcant work done in two or more of the following traditions: phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction, critical theory, discourse, ethics, and feminism. Because of the wealth of thinkers and ideas in the area, the module can vary substantially from year to year; in each year, there will be one or more unifying themes, such as critique, art, truth, faith, law, or ethics.

Philosophy of Language

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module will be concerned with the nature of language in general and with the meaning of particular kinds of expression. Its focus will be the influential works of the analytic tradition by Frege, Russell, Quine, Grice, Kripke, Putnam and Davidson. We will consider what sort of thing the meaning of words might be; whether we should distinguish between sense or cognitive significance and reference; how we manage to refer to things; how to make sense of claims about necessity and about what people think; how names and natural­kind terms work; and how we might respond to scepticism about meaning.

Psychobiology of Cognitive Ageing and Dementia

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module examines the biochemical and neuro-anatomical bases of normal and abnormal cognitive aging.  You will look at the clinical and functional consequences of age­related changes in cognitive performance; the aetiology of abnormal changes, including organic dementias of different origins; and the underlying physiology that supports these changes. You will examine current treatment options and future treatment possibilities, including both drug and psychotherapeutic alternatives.

Sensory and Motor Functions of the Nervous System

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Perceiving and acting upon the environment is something at which humans are expert. How does this ability to represent and act on visual and other sensory entities come about? Cognitive neuroscience is a diverse and interdisciplinary field of study that investigates the complex interplay of mental and brain function. This module provides an in-depth survey and analysis of behavioural observations, theoretical accounts, electrophysiological studies and imaging results on selected topics in cognitive neuroscience. Topics include: connections between sensory and motor function; cross-modal interaction; movement and event perception; development and plasticity of the nervous system; neural prediction and visual constancies; and compensation.

Social Cognitive Development

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module considers aspects of development that reflect the social nature of humans. You will cover three broad areas: social cognition (such as normal development of folk psychology and its apparent absence in autism), self­-reflective capabilities (such as the growth of self­-consciousness and shyness) and understanding aspects of the person (such as cross-­cultural concepts of the person and concepts of emotion). You will consider the role of cognitive development and social context in children's developing understanding of themselves and others. The module enables you to study a chosen topic in depth, while also making links to the other topics.

Structure and Function in the Brain

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Topics in Cognitive Development

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Topics in the Philosophy of Cognitive Science

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module examines various philosophical foundational issues in cognitive science by focussing on the nature and role of computation and representation in cognitive scientific explanations. In particular, the module asks the question: can our everyday way of understanding the mind, in terms of beliefs, desires and intentions, serve as a foundation for a scientific understanding of mind? The module then analyses various answers that have been given to this question.