Welcome to the Mind, Brain & Behaviour 2011 website.
This module explores a range of contemporary theories and debates at the intersection between psychology, philosophy and interdisciplinary neuroscience, within the broader context of exploring and debating the nature of the mind-brain relationship, and the future of a more neuroscientific psychology. Topics of interest have typically included various contemporary perspectives on consciousness, reasoning, emotion, pathology, embodiment, language, and evolution. The continued contribution of psychology to our understanding of the mind-brain is critically interrogated.
This module sets out to integrate a more theoretical and philosophical interest in the mind and brain with a grounding in contemporary interdisciplinary neuroscience. Theorists from a range of disciplines and backgrounds are increasingly putting forward 'grand theories' to account for the nature and evolution of consciousness, emotion, language, and other human features and capacities. Such theories and their underlying claims about the nature of the mind, the mind-brain complex, human evolution, and human development, all make for fascinating and challenging targets of exploration and critique. This module is important and highly relevant in a context where psychology is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary and integrated with other brain sciences.
The module is especially recommended for those with an interest in cognition, consciousness, language, neuropsychology, neuroscience, evolution and evolutionary psychology, and theoretical and philosophical issues in psychology.
The course will be taught in Term 1 of 2011.
Further details about the content of the course in 2011 will be forthcoming in January.
For an idea of some of the content, readings and thought paper topics for previous editions of the course, please feel free to visit the blog site from last year's course at:
http://mindbrainbehaviour2010.blogspot.com/
Please feel free to email Michael Pitman and Michael Greyling if you have any further questions about the course (subject to leave and availability over the December/January holiday season).
