COGS 120 PZ -Consciousness

Institution: Pitzer College

Description: What does it mean to be conscious? This course examines the nature of consciousness from the interdisciplinary perspectives of cognitive science. We will start with an investigation of consciousness from a philosophical standpoint, seeking to disambiguate the word and bring greater clarity to what we are attempting to study. We will then move into the relationship between perception and consciousness, looking at various systems and entities including non-human animals and machines (AI) to evaluate their level of consciousness. Finally, we will take a look at human consciousness, exploring the neuroscience of various brain states and the neural correlates of consciousness.