Mind, Body and Being..Asclepius Autumn Course Wednesday September 11 at 10am

This will be a 14 weeks course starting on Wednesday September 11 at 10am at Asclepius Therapy for more information please ring 07592330457 or e mail squabs@hotmail.co uk. The cost will be £70 and stretches over  the 14 vweeksin two hourly weekly sessions.

Introduction. Outline of some different theories of mind and consciousness. What do we mean by a personal identity? What is the self? Is there something it is like to be me? Beliefs intentions and desires. Pearls and bundles. The hard problem of consciousness v the soft problem.
Views of the mind in different cultures and religions. Buddhist: Confucian: Christian esp. Catholicism: Islamic: Is psychotherapy culturally specific, or is there a universal approach? Ways of healing. Devils and daemons.

Other minds: What is it to be conscious and how do I know others are conscious too? Zombies and robots. Solipsism. Sense data, idealism and realism. Are our minds made up, if so, who makes them? Do our minds make our worlds or does the world make our minds?
Belief in others. We will look at how gender, race or colour affects our identity. Transhumanism. Human/ animal transformation myths.

Does mind depend upon brain/body? Materialism and other theories. Are mind and brain the same thing? Logical Behavioural and psychological behavioural theories of mind. The challenge and sometimes threat of neuroscience to a soul.

Psychology art or science?
Belief in animals.

Neurological theories of mind and consciousness. Neuroscience v folk-law. Latest theories in neuroscience. What is the raw material of consciousness?

Abnormal psychology. Disorders of consciousness. When we say someone is not ‘normal’ is it society or is it the person that needs healing? If we don’t know for certain what a mind is how can we treat it? Mind altering drugs.

Consciousness and morality. Are materialist theories of mind incompatible with having a free will and what are the implications for morality?

Spirituality without a soul. If materialism is true as most scientists and philosopher s believe today where does this leave us spiritually.

Universal consciousness. Is there such a thing as collective consciousness, a community of minds? Douglas Hoffstadter’s idea that everything has consciousness of some kind.
Natural and evolutionary theories if mind. What is the point of being self conscious?
AI and self consciousness.