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This course tells you (nearly) everything you ever wanted to know about Alan Turing, the birth of the computer, and the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence. It is a problem-based course, equally suitable for Arts, Science, Engineering, and Law students.
Turing was a computer scientist before Computer Science existed, and also a mathematician and philosopher. At the turn of the millennium, 45 years after his death, Time magazine listed him among the twentieth century’s 100 greatest minds, alongside the Wright brothers, Albert Einstein, DNA-busters Crick and Watson, and the discoverer of penicillin Alexander Fleming. Turing’s achievements during his short lifetime were legion. Best known as the genius who broke Germany’s most secret codes during the war of 1939-45, Turing was also the father of the modern computer. Today all who click, tap, or touch to open are familiar with the impact of his ideas. Turing envisaged a ‘universal computing machine’, whose function could effortlessly be transformed from mathematical expert to text editor to chess opponent—or anything else that we have the skill to pin down in the form of an app or program. Like many great ideas, this one now seems as obvious as the wheel and the arch, but with this single invention—the stored program universal computer—Turing changed the way we live. As if that weren’t enough, he also pioneered what we now call Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Life.The course topics include: Who was Turing and why is he so famous? Why is he regarded by so many as the father of the computer? Can computers solve every (well-defined) mathematical problem, and if so does that mean that computers can do everything that the human brain can do? Will computers built from artificial human-like neurons be as powerful as the human brain? What is the Imitation Game? Is Artificial Intelligence achievable, and what are the philosophical counter-arguments? Will scientists be able to build ‘child machines’ that grow up much like human children? Must robots lack distinctive human characteristics, such as free will, consciousness, or emotion? If ultra-intelligent computers are created, what then? Could a human being survive death by porting his or her mind’s software into a computer, or storing it in the cloud? What is a computer—what is the difference between an information-processor and a food-processor? Are biological growth and evolution essentially computational processes? Is the whole universe a computer?
Why should computer scientists study philosophy? This course will give you an understanding of the bigger conceptual, ethical, and historical picture in which computer programming occurs—as well as an interdisciplinary perspective on computer science. Moreover, today’s employers expect computer scientists to have the skills taught in subjects like Philosophy: critical reasoning, writing and analysing text reports, and thinking outside the box.Why should philosophers study the philosophy of computing? This field, now widely studied internationally, is one of the most interesting 21st century developments in philosophy, with courses at most leading overseas institutions. Turing started a fascinating area of modern philosophy.In this course you will:Learn in detail about Turing’s contributions to philosophy and computer science Acquire a detailed knowledge of selected core topics in the philosophy of computingEnhance your ability to think independently, systematically, and creativelyImprove your verbal skills and analytic reasoning skills
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, COSC, LING, MATH, orPSYC, orany 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.
PHIL250
Diane Proudfoot
Contact Diane for further information.
Please check the course LEARN page for further details and updates.
Jack Copeland et al., The Turing Guide (Oxford University Press, 2017). Copies are available in the University (UBS) Bookshop; the Central Library has an electronic copy, and there will also be a hard copy on 3-hour loan in the High Demand collection. Core readings for weeks 7-12 will all be available in Learn.
Domestic fee $844.00
International fee $3,950.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Humanities .