Introduction
Welcome!
The purpose of this site is to provide students of Minds and Machines at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi with access to necessary and supplementary course materials. Here you will find course handouts, readings, notes, summaries, links, and whatever else might prove useful.
How to Use This Website
Resources are organized by day on the "home" page. Click on the date to go to the material for that day. Please note that the Home Page is authoritative: the Home Page supersedes any other page it contradicts. Note that a day or so after each lecture I will usually post a synopsis of the lecture where I summarize our discussion and, perhaps, add to it. You are responsible for all of the readings, so be sure to revisit lecture pages to stay on top of the material.
In addition to links to any readings, notes, handouts, or synopses, every lecture page has a discussion board at the bottom of the page. Should you have any questions, comments, or points you would like to make you didn't get the chance to make in class, don't hesitate to contribute to the lecture page yourself! I'll keep an eye on the discussions and answer any questions I can as they come up, although I certainly invite everyone to chime in.
Bear in mind that access to some of the readings requires an authorized account on the website. If you already have such an account, you're all set. If not, select "CAS Student Login" from the login box on the front page and an authorized account will automatically be created for you. If you do not have an Islander ID, or you prefer not using it, open an account by selecting "Create new account" and send an email to me (berkich@gmail.com will do fine) with the username you're using on the account and your full name. Once I get your email I will manually authorize your account so you have access to the course materials. Please note that you'll also need an authorized account to contribute to any online discussions.
A Note on Printing
Students often like to print out course materials (handouts, readings, notes, etc.) Sometimes this can be problematic, since a page which has been optimally formatted for viewing on a monitor screen prints very poorly -- usually with lots of blanks and wasted space. If you wish to print out all or some of the materials, I suggest that you either import the document into your favorite word-processor and re-format it there or use the "Printer-friendly Version" function located at the bottom of every page.
Restrictions on Use
This website is specifically designed for the use of students in PHIL 4303.001 and PSYC 4390.001: Minds and Machines at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Materials may, however, be freely downloaded and distributed provided that proper credit is given. Anyone using these materials for purposes other than the course is asked to indicate so by email to the author, Don Berkich.
Acknowledgments
The development of Minds and Machines and the resources placed on this website have been influenced by Vere C. Chappell, Rod Grupen, Jack Bricke, and, especially, Lynne Rudder Baker. To be sure, I alone am responsible for any errors, confusions, or inconsistencies.