In this course, we approach (the philosophy of) artificial intelligence (AI) from the perspective of theoretical philosophy. The course focuses on the discussion of the intelligence of artificial intelligence, in particular against the backdrop of the debate between nativists and empiricists. We will do so, following Cameron Buckner’s very recent book From Deep Learning to Rational Machines (OUP, 2024). We first discuss Buckner’s general framework, the debate between nativists and empiricists, and a general introduction to deep learning. In the second part of the course, we will follow Buckner’s set up discussing one cognitive capacity and one relevant classical philosopher per week.
As we focus on the issues from the perspective of theoretical philosophy, we use tools from analytic philosophy and logic to address these questions.
This course is part of the following thematic cluster(s): Language, Logic, Mind and Metaphysics; Science, Humanities, Technology and Society
The specialist topics/approaches in the course have relevance/impact for indicated fields: Mind and Cognition, Philosophy of AI, Philosophy of Technology