OVERVIEW

The course offers an overview of the intersections between cognitive science and theories of the arts.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Le scienze cognitive hanno ridefinito in profondità paradigmi e modelli dei processi mentali legati all’esperienza percettiva e conoscitiva. I tradizionali problemi filosofici riguardanti le relazioni tra esperienze corporee e mentali, il reciproco interagire di intelligenza ed emozioni, il mobile e spesso contraddittorio statuto dei prodotti artistici, il complesso significato e della loro fruizione hanno acquisito dimensioni radicalmente nuove. Nel dialogo tra estetica, neuroscienze e filosofie delle mente si aprono inesauribili prospettive critiche ed euristiche per immaginare modi e mezzi di mutua fecondazione tra l’innovazione tecnologica e i suoi possibili scenari applicativi nelle arti, nello spettacolo e nella riabilitazione.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Identifying the main trends in the field of cognitive sciences.
• Relating them to theories of art and artistic practices.
• Acquire a greater ability to manage one's social interactions with a collaborative attitude, constructive communication, and dialogic skills.
• Demonstrate autonomy in work, the ability to handle primary literature, argumentative skills, and collaborative attitude in coordination and negotiation.

PREREQUISITES

None.

TEACHING METHODS

Alternation between themes of cognitive science and their applications to the artistic field

The course will combine lectures delivered by the instructor with classroom presentations given by attending students.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. The emergence of classical cognitive science
 From behaviorism to cognitive science
Examples of mental representations (grammars, mental models)
Functionalism
Propositional attitudes and Common Sense Psychology
Cognitive science and emotions
Functionalism and qualia
Limitations of behaviorism in explaining art
Usefulness of functionalism in explaining art
Case study: fiction imagination emotions

2. Visual perception
Visual perception 1: Marr
Visual perception 2 Gibson
Dorsal system and ventral system
Case study: pictorial perception

3. Connectionism
AI models are not necessarily models of cognition
Case study: image recognition and generation by deep learning

4. Robotics and cognition of the 4Es
New Robotics
Braitenberg
4E cognition
Case study: intereactivity in baroque fresco and haptic arts

5. Modularity and evolutionism
"Fodorian" vs. "massive" modularism
Modularism and evolutionary psychology
Problems of adaptive explanations
Case study: evolutionary aesthetics

6. Cognitive science and neuroscience
Neuroscience as a new horizon for cognitive science
Case study: neuroaesthetics

7. Language and communication
Syntax vs. semantics
Compositionality of meaning
Frege and antipsychologism
Fodor and compositionality in the mind
Pragmatics
Grice and speakers' intentions, maxims, implicatures
Case study: the limits of the art/language analogy
Case study: pragmatics and the arts (e.g. poetry, film, conceptual art)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Teaching materials that will be made available on Aulaweb

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Classroom presentation and oral examination.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with disabilities or learning disorders are allowed to use specific modalities and supports that will be determined on a case-by-case basis in agreement with the Delegate of the Engineering courses in the Committee for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities. Students are invited to contact the teacher of this course and copy the Delegate (https://unige.it/commissioni/comitatoperlinclusionedeglistudenticondisabilita.html).