--CCFF notes-- CCFF schedule--

Consciousness and Cognition in Fact and Fantasy

DMS 515/415 :: 1:00-2:50 T Th :: Center for the Arts Room 235

We produce media for conscious minds - human minds. But what is a mind? What is consciousness? what is cognition? In this seminar we will examine and experience works by artists and scientists that specifically attempt to understand the mind; to make a model of the mind; to represent and explain the mind; to mess with the mind. A central assumption of this course is that fact and fantasy both offer compelling insights into the problem of consciousness. The texts include pure fiction, works in the borderlands of fact and fiction, scholarly and scientific inquiry.

Study Guides

Required Texts:

  • Thomas C. Caramagno, Flight of the Mind: Virginia Woolf's Art and Manic-Depressive Illness, 1992 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Carlos Castaneda, Tales of Power, 1974 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • The Troops for Truddi Chase, When Rabbit Howls, 1987 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Merlin Donald, Origins of the Modern Mind: Three stages in the evolution of culture and cognition, 1991 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Julian Jaynes, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, 1976 (on 2 hour reserve)

Suggested Texts:

  • Philip K. Dick, "We can remember it for you wholesale," in The Preserving Machine, 1969 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams or Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious, 1899 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley, 1955 in Crime novels : American noir of the 1950s. (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Allucquère Rosanne Stone, The War of Desire and Technology at the Close of the Mechanical Age, 1995 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • James Tiptree, Up the Walls of the World, 1984 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Virginia Woolf, To The Lighthouse, 1927 (on 2 hour reserve)
  • Virginia Woolf, The Waves, 1931 (on 2 hour reserve)

Games:

  • Namco, Katamari Damacy, 2003
  • Will Wright, Spore, 2008

VR

  • Osmose, Char Davies

Movies:

  • Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Jim Carrey, Kate Winslett), 2004
  • Alfred Hitchcock, Spellbound (Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck), 1945
  • David Lynch, Eraserhead, 1977
  • Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr. Ripley (Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law), 1999
  • Paul Verhoeven, Total Recall (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone), 1992
  • Satoshi Kon, Millenium Actress or Perfect Blue

Of Interest:

In what order should the texts be read, played, viewed? I think that we may start with the three most scholarly texts, so Donald, Jaynes, Caramagno. Stone will be our transition into texts less tied to the authoritative norms of academia. We will enter a blurred world, fact or fantasy, as we read Castaneda and Chase. Next we will read the fiction, mystery and science fiction works, Woolf, Highsmith, Tiptree, Dick. Then the games, Namco, Wright. Finally we will loll about at the end of the semester watching the movies and eating popcorn, Gondry, Hitchcock, Lynch, Verhoeven. We can adjust this as we go.

Requirements and Responsibilities

Reading, note taking and participation: The focus of this course is engaged & analytical reading/playing/viewing. Your primary work will be to produce detailed reading notes from the three main scholarly texts. The reading notes must be written before class discussion and will be the basis for our discussion. Please be prepared to share your notes (orally) with the class and to hand them in at the end of the class. You will write a fourth set of notes relating to one other text (game, film). All notes must be submitted electronically, either by email or online.

Each set of notes is 20 points Classroom participation 20 points

Paper: Graduate students (undergrads for extra credit) will write a paper. The default topic is:

Compare and Contrast x's theory of cognition/consciousness/mind with y's.

I will entertain alternative topics. I am open to a wide variety of creative and/or scholarly proposals as long as they are well grounded in the readings. Topics must be proposed to me in an email by October 8th. Please wait for me to OK the proposal before proceeding.

  • Paper length 8-16 pages single sided, 10 pt
  • Papers must include a appropriately formatted bibliography
  • Abstract by November 24th
  • Final Deadline is December 14th

Attendance:

Attendance for every class is mandatory barring serious emergency. Each student is allowed two unexcused absences for whatever reason (e.g., illness, weather). If extenuating circumstances arise (e.g., serious medical problems, child care), please contact the instructor as soon as possible to address the situation. Barring emergency circumstances, each absence after two will drop lower the final grade by a full grade for each additional absence (i.e.,3 absences = B→C). Punctuality is also expected. For the purposes of grading, three tardies will equal one unexcused absence.

Criteria for Incomplete Grade:

It is the policy of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Media Study to grant incompletes for a semester only under extraordinary circumstances. Under any circumstances, incompletes will be granted only to students currently in good standing (i.e., regular attendance and passing completion of assignments). Requests for a grade of incomplete need to be submitted in writing, and should include a rationale, documentation for the reason, and a proposed schedule for completion.

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