The teaching of Philosophy of Neuroscience aims to offer a thorough understanding of some of the epistemological and ontological problems that characterize today's research in cognitive neuroscience. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between neural structure and cognitive functions-or more generally, to neuroscientific and psychological categories and the kind of relationship between them.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to understand and interpret research and theoretical controversies in neuroscience and the philosophical reflections that invest them; read and analyze relevant literatures; and write and/or present on one of the course topics.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to understand and interpret research and theoretical controversies in neuroscience and the philosophical reflections that invest them; read and analyze relevant literatures; and write and/or present on one of the course topics.
teacher profile teaching materials
The first part offers a historical introduction to debates on the metaphysics of the mental in philosophy of mind, in the foundations of experimental psychology and in the (proto-)history of cognitive neuroscience.
A second part offers a historical-epistemological introduction to cognitive neuroscience, with a special emphasis on the uses (and abuses) of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Building on these introductory themes, the issue of the uncertainty of psychological categories (the cognitive ontology) and how neuroscience can enable them to be revised will be addressed.
This will be addressed in the third part of the course, in which different approaches to reforming cognitive ontology will be examined.
The last part of the course, which is seminar-based in nature, will involve presentations by attendees of a number of texts to be arranged with the lecturer.
PREREQUISITES: No prerequisites are necessary, but it is helpful to have some familiarity with philosophy of mind and/or science and some knowledge of cognitive science.
* Burnston, D. C. (2016). A contextualist approach to functional localization in the brain. Biology & Philosophy, 31, 527-550.
* Francken, J. C., Slors, M., & Craver, C. F. (2022). Cognitive ontology and the search for neural mechanisms: three foundational problems. Synthese, 200(5), 378.
* Klein, C. (2012). Cognitive ontology and region-versus network-oriented analyses. Philosophy of Science, 79(5), 952-960.
* McCaffrey, J. B. (2023). Evolving Concepts of Functional Localization. Philosophy Compass, e12914.* McCaffrey, J. B. (2023). Evolving Concepts of Functional Localization. Philosophy Compass, e12914.
* Poldrack, R. A. (2010a). Mapping mental function to brain structure: how can cognitive neuroimaging succeed?. Perspectives on psychological science, 5(6), 753-761.
* Poldrack, R. A. (2010b). 13 Subtraction and Beyond: The Logic of Experimental Designs for Neuroimaging. edited by Stephen José Hanson and Martin Bunzl, 147.
* Price, C. J., & Friston, K. J. (2005). Functional ontologies for cognition: The systematic definition of structure and function. Cognitive neuropsychology, 22(3-4), 262-275.
* Ritchie, J. B., Kaplan, D. M., & Klein, C. (2019). Decoding the brain: Neural representation and the limits of multivariate pattern analysis in cognitive neuroscience. The British journal for the philosophy of science.
* Viola, M. (2017). Carving mind at brain’s joints. The debate on cognitive ontology. Phenomenology and Mind, (12), 162-172.
* Viola, M. (2021). Beyond the Platonic Brain: facing the challenge of individual differences in function-structure mapping. Synthese, 199(1-2), 2129-2155.
* Viola, M., Caruana, F. (2025), Basic Emotion Theory meets the Brain. Radicals and reformists in the arena of neuroscience. In Piccinini, G. (Ed.), Neurocognitive Foundations of Mind, Routledge.
* Viola, M., & Zanin, E. (2017). The standard ontological framework of cognitive neuroscience: Some lessons from Broca’s area. Philosophical Psychology, 30(7), 945-969.
* Ward, Z. B. (2022). Cognitive variation: The philosophical landscape. Philosophy Compass, 17(10), e12882.
* (other papers communicated during the course)
PAPERS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN MOODLE
For non-attending students: above papers + one book to be agreed with the teacher
Programme
The course provides an overview to the debate on the use of neuroscientific (and in particular functional magnetic resonance imaging) data to reform the ontology of the mental.The first part offers a historical introduction to debates on the metaphysics of the mental in philosophy of mind, in the foundations of experimental psychology and in the (proto-)history of cognitive neuroscience.
A second part offers a historical-epistemological introduction to cognitive neuroscience, with a special emphasis on the uses (and abuses) of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Building on these introductory themes, the issue of the uncertainty of psychological categories (the cognitive ontology) and how neuroscience can enable them to be revised will be addressed.
This will be addressed in the third part of the course, in which different approaches to reforming cognitive ontology will be examined.
The last part of the course, which is seminar-based in nature, will involve presentations by attendees of a number of texts to be arranged with the lecturer.
PREREQUISITES: No prerequisites are necessary, but it is helpful to have some familiarity with philosophy of mind and/or science and some knowledge of cognitive science.
Core Documentation
For attending students: the content of the lectures + the following papers:* Burnston, D. C. (2016). A contextualist approach to functional localization in the brain. Biology & Philosophy, 31, 527-550.
* Francken, J. C., Slors, M., & Craver, C. F. (2022). Cognitive ontology and the search for neural mechanisms: three foundational problems. Synthese, 200(5), 378.
* Klein, C. (2012). Cognitive ontology and region-versus network-oriented analyses. Philosophy of Science, 79(5), 952-960.
* McCaffrey, J. B. (2023). Evolving Concepts of Functional Localization. Philosophy Compass, e12914.* McCaffrey, J. B. (2023). Evolving Concepts of Functional Localization. Philosophy Compass, e12914.
* Poldrack, R. A. (2010a). Mapping mental function to brain structure: how can cognitive neuroimaging succeed?. Perspectives on psychological science, 5(6), 753-761.
* Poldrack, R. A. (2010b). 13 Subtraction and Beyond: The Logic of Experimental Designs for Neuroimaging. edited by Stephen José Hanson and Martin Bunzl, 147.
* Price, C. J., & Friston, K. J. (2005). Functional ontologies for cognition: The systematic definition of structure and function. Cognitive neuropsychology, 22(3-4), 262-275.
* Ritchie, J. B., Kaplan, D. M., & Klein, C. (2019). Decoding the brain: Neural representation and the limits of multivariate pattern analysis in cognitive neuroscience. The British journal for the philosophy of science.
* Viola, M. (2017). Carving mind at brain’s joints. The debate on cognitive ontology. Phenomenology and Mind, (12), 162-172.
* Viola, M. (2021). Beyond the Platonic Brain: facing the challenge of individual differences in function-structure mapping. Synthese, 199(1-2), 2129-2155.
* Viola, M., Caruana, F. (2025), Basic Emotion Theory meets the Brain. Radicals and reformists in the arena of neuroscience. In Piccinini, G. (Ed.), Neurocognitive Foundations of Mind, Routledge.
* Viola, M., & Zanin, E. (2017). The standard ontological framework of cognitive neuroscience: Some lessons from Broca’s area. Philosophical Psychology, 30(7), 945-969.
* Ward, Z. B. (2022). Cognitive variation: The philosophical landscape. Philosophy Compass, 17(10), e12882.
* (other papers communicated during the course)
PAPERS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN MOODLE
For non-attending students: above papers + one book to be agreed with the teacher
Attendance
Attendance is optional but strongly recommendedType of evaluation
Assessment involves an oral examination in English on the topics covered in the course and the articles in the syllabus. Non-attending students or attending students who will NOT do the presentation will also bring one book from the texts of their choice to the oral examination.