Minds, Robots, and the End of Humanity (FYS-IFS-G)
Reading and Essay Schedule
Required Texts
All required readings are listed on this page and are available either as pdf files (to be printed and brought with you to class) or else available as a reference online. There are no texts that you need to purchase.
Key MU Dates for 2017-2018. [pdf]
FYS Class Activities for Fall 2017. [pdf] For each activity, please complete this form.
"Let's Talk About It" [sign up here].
Study Tables for Fall 2017. [pdf] — now available!
Registration instructions [pdf]
Final Exam Schedule [pdf]
Advising Form for Enrolling in Spring Courses [pdf]
Mon, Aug 28
Introduction to the Class
Short Video: “What is Artificial Intelligence?” BBC (13 Sep 2015) [YouTube (1m 57s)]
Essay: Neil Postman, “The Darkness and the Light” Utne Reader (1995) [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea
Wed, Aug 30
Research & How to Cite Research
Reading: Purdue OWL, “Research and Citation Resources.” [web page][MLA In-Text Citation /Works Cited]
Due: Letter on the class web syllabus (bring a paper copy to my office: Academic Center 233) [see assignment]
Fri, Sep 1
Summary and Paraphrase
Reading: Purdue OWL, “Paraphrasing and Summary.” [web page][practice exercises/answers]
Due: Scavenger Hunt in the OWL [form]
Mon, Sep 4
Thinking Things
Reading: Naragon, “Thinking Things.” [pdf]
Due: Research paragraph. [see sample]
Guest Speaker: Laura Turner-Reed (Writing Center Coordinator) will discuss resources available at the Writing Center [website] during the first 5 minutes of class.
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Wed, Sep 6
Conscious Machines
Reading: Pinker, “Can a Computer Be Conscious?” (1997) [pdf]
Due: Summary of Pinker essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Fri, Sep 8
Criteria of Mindedness
Reading: Descartes, Discourse on Method (1637) (selection) [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Mon, Sep 11
Turing Machines
Reading: Naragon, “Artificial Intelligence.” [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Wed, Sep 13
Can Machines Think? (part 1)
Reading: Law, “Could a Machine Think?” (2003) [pdf]
Due: Summary of Law essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
Fri, Sep 15
Thesis Drafting: Definition Essay
Reading: Read this page from the The Center for Writing Studies (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) as well as the Definition Essay assignment.
Due: Thesis paragraph due — bring a paper copy to class; 1st draft of essay will be due on Wednesday, Sep 18.
Mon, Sep 18
Workshop on your Definition Essay
First Draft of definition essay due (bring a paper copy to class) [rubric]
Wed, Sep 20 - Fri, Sep 22
No class: Individual meetings.
Due: Study Skills & Time Management Workshop (see me if you have not completed this workshop).
Mon, Sep 25
Can Machines Think? (part 2)
—— Definition Essay Due (by midnight, on Canvas) ——
Reading: Searle, “The Myth of the Computer.” The New York Review of Books (29 Apr 1982) [pdf]
Due: Major Advisor interview [form].
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Will Robots Take Our Jobs?
Wed, Sep 27
The Luddites
Reading: NPR’s Planet Money: “When Luddites Attack” (broadcast: 6 May 2015) [website].
Either listen to the broadcast (below) or read the transcript.
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Fri, Sep 29
The Automation of Work
Reading: John Lanchester, “The Robots are Coming” London Review of Books (5 March 2015) [pdf]
Due: Summary of Lanchester essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
The online StrengthsFinder Assessment needs to be completed by today. [info]+[link to assessment]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Mon, Oct 2 — Fall Break
Wed, Oct 4
What is Work For?
Reading: Thompson, “A World Without Work.” Atlantic Monthly (Jul/Aug 2015) [web][pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Fri, Oct 6
A.I. in Recent Cinema & Thesis Drafting
Reading: Mendelsohn, “The Robots are Winning!” New York Review of Books (4 June 2015) [web][pdf]
Due: Summary of Mendelsohn essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
Creating Creatures, Becoming Cyborgs
Mon, Oct 9
Early Creation Stories in the Western Tradition
Reading: “Creation Stories from the Ancient Western Tradition” [pdf] — selections from Homer (8th century BCE), Hesiod (late 8th century BCE), Genesis (6th century BCE), Plato (c.428-348 BCE), Ovid (1st century BCE/CE).
Due: Thesis paragraph due — bring a paper copy to class; 1st draft of essay will be due on Monday, Oct. 16.
Due: "Let's Talk About It" (Title IX/CARE Presentation, Academic Center 101). See me if you have not participated in one of these.
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Wed, Oct 11
Artificial Life as Mechanical Simulation
Reading: Riskin, “The Defecating Duck.” Critical Inquiry (2003) [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Thu, Oct 12 (7 p.m., Cordier Auditorium)
Career Expo
Fri, Oct 13
Becoming Cyborgs
Reading: Arthur House, “The Real Cyborgs.” The Telegraph (20 Oct 2014) [web]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Mon, Oct 16
First Draft of analysis essay due (bring a paper copy to class) [rubric]
Workshop on your Analysis Essay
Wed, Oct 18 - Fri, Oct 20
No class: Individual meetings.
Mon, Oct 23
—— Analysis Essay Due (by midnight, on Canvas) ——
FYS Midterm Retention Survey (10:00 to 10:30 a.m.): Meet in ACEN 144 (computer lab)
Fall Registration instruction (10:30 to 10:50 a.m.): Meet in classroom.
What is a Person?
Wed, Oct 25
Dualism
Reading: Naragon, “Cartesian Dualism” [pdf]
Fri, Oct 27
Physicalism
Reading: Naragon, “Physicalism” [pdf]; Bisson, “They’re Made Out of Meat.” Omni (1991) [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Mon, Oct 30
Consciousness
Reading: Christof Koch, “Is Consciousness Universal?” Scientific American (1 Jan 2014) [pdf]; Marcus, “How Much Consciousness does an iPhone Have?” New Yorker (6 Jun 2013) [pdf]
Due: Summary of Koch essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
Due: Registration for 1st Year Students begin today (7 a.m.).
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Wed, Nov 1
Research Strategies/Evaluating Sources
• Research day in the library.
Fri, Nov 3
Thesis Drafting: Research Essay
Due: Topic proposal and one or more research questions [Choosing a good research question]; 1st draft of essay due on Monday, Nov 13.
Mon, Nov 6
Locating the Self
Reading: Dennett, “Where Am I?” (1978) [pdf]
Due: Summary of Dennett essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
Wed, Nov 8
Personal Identity
Due: First version of an annotated bibliography (include at least two sources; bring a paper copy to class) [How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography].
Reading: Naragon, “Personal Identity” [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Can We Live with this Technology?
Fri, Nov 10
Is A.I. Dangerous?
Reading: Caleb Scharf, “Is AI Dangerous? That Depends...” Scientific American (13 Feb 2015) [web][pdf]; and brief comments by Nick Bostrom, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and Stuart Russell.
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Mon, Nov 13
First Draft of research essay due (bring a paper copy to class) [rubric]
Workshop on your Research Essay
Wed, Nov 15 - Fri, Nov 17
No class: Individual meetings.
Mon, Nov 20
What is the Singularity?
Reading: Vernor Vinge, “The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era” (1993) [pdf]
Due: Summary of Vinge essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
— Thanksgiving Break —
Mon, Nov 27
Reaching the Singularity
Reading: Tim Urban, “The AI Revolution: The Road to Superintelligence.” WaitButWhy (2015) [website] [pdf]
Due: Summary of Urban essay (upload to Canvas before class). [rubric]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Wed, Nov 29
All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
Reading: Tim Urban, “The AI Revolution: Our Immortality or Extinction.” WaitButWhy (2015) [website] [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Fri, Dec 1
Can We Program Robots to be Moral?
Reading: Gary Marcus, “Moral Machines.” New Yorker (24 Nov 2012) [pdf]; Gary Marcus, “Teaching Robots to Be Moral.” New Yorker (12 Mar 2015) [pdf]
OTHER RESOURCES: [show]
Mon, Dec 4
—— Research Essay Due (by midnight, on Canvas) ——
Catching our Breath; Final Exam Strategies
Wed, Dec 6 - Fri, Dec 8
—— Research Summary Due (bring paper copy to class) ——
Sharing Our Research
Finals Week
Monday, December 11 (Reading Day)
Exam [study guide]
Wednesday, Dec 13, 10:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Bibliography (for the readings) [show]
Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 18 Nov 2017