The Modern Mind

We trace the development of our modern ideas about the mind, from the highly influential work of Descartes and the impact of Darwinian evolution to more recent accounts of the ‘extended’ mind and the enhancements made possible by new technologies. Why is Descartes so important? What changed with Darwin? And in what ways have technological advances changed how we think about the mind? Join us as we explore the story of one of the central concerns of philosophy.

Speakers
Adrian Alsmith
Lecturer in Philosophy, KCL
Tim Lewens
Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge
Lauren Slater
Associate Tutor of Philosophy, Birkbeck

Chair
Clare Moriarty
Fellow, Forum for Philosophy & IRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin

Co-sponsored by the Royal Institute of Philosophy and the British Society for the History of Philosophy

Recorded on 7 June 2021