OVERVIEW

Experimental philosophy (or XPhil) is an interdisciplinary approach that combines the classic questions and theoretical frameworks of philosophy with the experimental methods of psychology, neuroscience, and, more generally, cognitive sciences.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Experimental philosophy (or XPhil) is an interdisciplinary approach that combines the questions and classical theoretical frameworks of philosophy with the experimental methods of psychology, neuroscience and, more generally, cognitive science. The objective of the course is to introduce students to the main objectives, methods and results of contemporary experimental philosophy and to the main criticisms addressed to this recent field of philosophical inquiry.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of experimental philosophy. They will be able to critically discuss the role of intuitions and empirical evidence in the construction of philosophical theories. Additionally, the student will learn the basics of experimental methodology, gaining the skills necessary to independently design and conduct an experiment.

Further educational objectives:

• Develop a greater ability to manage social interactions with a collaborative attitude, constructive communication, and dialogue skills.

• Demonstrate autonomy in work, management of primary literature, argumentative skills, and the ability to work in teams, coordinate, and negotiate.

PREREQUISITES

The course mainly assumes a basic knowledge of logic. A good understanding of the concepts and theories underlying the main areas of philosophical inquiry is also required: ethics, language, epistemology, aesthetics, politics, metaphysics, and ontology.

Attendance is highly recommended.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching will be delivered through face-to-face lectures by the instructor.

The course will alternate between lectures held by the instructor and class presentations by attending students.

Students are required to register on Aulaweb, where course materials will be uploaded.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disabilities (SLD):

Students with disabilities or SLD are reminded that in order to request exam accommodations, they must first upload their certification on the university website at servizionline.unige.it, under the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University’s Department for Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLD (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

Subsequently, at least 10 days before the exam date, students must send an email to the instructor with whom they will take the exam, with a copy to the School's Disability and SLD Referent (elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it) and the above-mentioned department. The email must specify:

• The name of the course

• The date of the exam

• The student’s surname, first name, and student ID number

• The requested compensatory tools and dispensatory measures

The referent will confirm to the instructor that the student is entitled to request exam accommodations and that these accommodations must be agreed upon with the instructor. The instructor will reply to confirm whether the requested accommodations can be used.

Requests must be sent at least 10 days before the exam date to allow the instructor to evaluate their content. In particular, if students intend to use concept maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than those used for study), late submissions will not allow enough time for any necessary adjustments.

For further information regarding the request for services and accommodations, please consult the document:
https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pdf

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is structured into three parts.

First part: The role of intuitions and empirical data in the construction of philosophical theories will be explored, highlighting how this debate led to the emergence of experimental philosophy, in contrast to the traditional approach of "armchair philosophy."

Second part: The basic concepts of experimental methodology will be introduced, including off-line and on-line methods, experimental design, dependent and independent variables, the construction of experimental stimuli, as well as the basics of statistical analysis and interpretation of experimental data.

Third part: Classic case studies from experimental philosophy will be examined, showing how this approach has tackled, using methods from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, traditional philosophical problems and questions in various fields: determinism and moral responsibility, lying, theories of reference for proper names, attributions of knowledge, intentionality, and aesthetic judgments.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Foreign or non-native students are encouraged to contact the instructor to receive the required reading materials.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy