Courses

Coming Attractions

• Studies in Philosophy of Mind PHIL 535 TR 12:00 - 1:15 BRNG 1248 with Evan Westra

The Maps by Which We Steer: The Philosophy and Science of Belief

Philosopher Frank Ramsey once described beliefs as the “map by which we steer.” Intuitively, beliefs—that Paris is the capital of France, that 5+7 = 12, that theft is wrong, that Bach’s fugues are lovely—are psychological states that aim to depict the world accurately, so that the believer might move through it smoothly. When they succeed in accurately depicting their subject matter, beliefs can be evaluated as true (otherwise they are false). When a believer is confronted with new evidence, their beliefs can be updated rationally (or irrationally). When paired with other mental states like desires, beliefs can lead to action that is reasonable (or unreasonable). When made public, beliefs interact with reputations, signaling important information about the believer’s social identity and their commitment to a group and its values

Despite their centrality to so much human activity, the fundamental nature of these mental states remains hotly contested in philosophy and cognitive science. In this class we'll explore a range of approaches to belief, with an eye towards clarifying the many different roles they appear to play in our cognitive and social lives. In so doing we'll consider perspectives from researchers working on the foundations of cognitive science, social epistemology, the psychology of religion, polarization and misinformation, and more.

Now Playing

Fall 2023

• The Big Questions: Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110 Lectures TR 4:30-5:20pm MATH 175, Recitation Sections on Fridays

• Philosophy of Mind PHIL 435 TR 1:30-2:45pm BRNG 1248

Back Issues

Spring 2023

• Fun and the Meaning of Life PHIL 490, T/Th 12:00 - 1:15 BRNG 1230

Fall 2022

• The Big Questions: Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

• Moral Psychology and Climate Change PHIL 403

Spring 2022

• Philosophy of Mind PHIL 435

Fall 2021

• The Big Questions: Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

• The Normative Mind (and Its Many Uses) PHIL 535

Spring 2020

• Independent Study: Bias, Social Epistemology, and the Ethics of Algorithms PHIL 590

• The Big Questions: Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

Fall 2020

• Sabbatical

Spring 2020

• This semester I was honored to be a Faculty Fellow at the Purdue College of Liberal Arts Center for Humanistic Studies

Fall 2019

• Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

• Private Selves, Public Personae: The Philosophy of Identities and the Sciences of the Mind HONR 399

Fall 2018 and Spring 2019

• I did not teach this academic year because I was lucky enough to be living the dream as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Spring 2018

• Philosophy of Mind PHIL 435

• Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

Fall 2017

• Normativity and the Psychology of Social Norms PHIL 535

Spring 2017

• Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

• Dissertation Workshop Seminar PHIL 680

Fall 2016

• Moral Psychology and Climate Change PHIL 490

• Introduction to Philosophy PHIL 110

Spring 2016