ONLINE / ENGLISH: Philosophy of Mind, Part 7

Every Sunday, a new lecture. Meeting starts 9:00AM with friendly conversation, then a dialogue at 9:15AM and a Q&A discussion follows.

DESCRIPTION

Philosophy of mind explores the nature of consciousness, our personal thoughts, and our mental states. In addition, how does the mind relate to the body, and how are we affected by life experience? One of the pillars of this topic is understanding what causes us to act: how our desires, beliefs, intentions, and emotions translate into physical behavior. We will review both ancient and modern ideas in this series of 7 dialogues.

SCHEDULE

8-10-2025 Part 1: Mental Causation
8-17-2025 Part 2: Neuro Philosophy
8-24-2025 Part 3: Brain Structure
8-31-2025 Part 4: Intentionality and the Mind
9-07-2025 Part 5: Agency & Identity
9-14-2025 Part 6: The Extended Mind
9-21-2025 Part 7: Shaping Intelligence
9-28-2025 Open mic

DESCRIPTION

Part 7: Shaping Intelligence 9-21-2025

How can we use—and improve—our intelligence? This is one of the defining questions of our time. The modern age challenges us in ways that past philosophers could scarcely have imagined. We face rapid technological change, constant information overload, and now the rise of AI, which can act as both a tool and a partner. This week, we’ll explore three key facets of this challenge: (1) using intelligence in service of our moral duties, (2) cultivating better reasoning skills, and (3) applying intelligence toward human flourishing.

First, we turn to Immanuel Kant’s ethics as a deontological framework. Kant emphasized moral duty and the inherent rightness or wrongness of actions—regardless of their outcomes. For Kant, the moral worth of an action lies in the motivation behind it: a genuine sense of duty guided by reason. Considered in this way, morality is not separate from intelligence but a way of shaping it, aligning our intellectual capacities with a rational, principled life.

Next, we will focus on training our minds to think with clarity. A crucial step is to recognize and avoid fallacies in reasoning. Scott Sprouse, in The Reasoning Skills Workbook (Section 8), categorizes fallacies into several types: imprecise use of terms, invalid arguments, and flaws in the underlying structure—or “fabric”—of the argument itself. By learning to identify these pitfalls, we sharpen our reasoning and avoid common thought traps. Clarity of thought, in this sense, becomes a discipline that strengthens intelligence.

Finally, we will consider the idea of human flourishing—using intelligence to pursue meaning, engagement, and resilience. Martin Seligman, a leading figure in the field of Positive Psychology, identifies five elements of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. The latter, Seligman notes, is “...pursued even when they bring no positive emotion, no meaning, and nothing in the way of positive relationships.” The challenge today is knowing when to rely on AI and when to resist outsourcing our choices, so that we remain active participants in our own growth and fulfillment.

READING MATERIALS

1. Kant on Morality (scroll down to key principle of “Good Will”, one page)
https://godandgoodlife.nd.edu/resource/do-your-duty-kant/

2. Scott Sprouse “The Reasoning Skills Workbook” (go to table of contents, click section 8, one page)
https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9k2DwAAQBAJ&pg=PP2

3. Wikipedia Article on Martin Seligman (read section on well-being, one page)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Seligman#Well-being

TIMEZONES

For our members in other states:
6:00 AM Pacific Time USA
7:00 AM Mountain Time USA
8:00 AM Central Time USA
9:00 AM Eastern Time USA

In other countries, please convert time using this free tool:
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/

ZOOM INFO

The meeting starts at 9:00AM Eastern Time. After 15 minutes of chat, the presentation starts at 9:15AM sharp.

CLICK TO JOIN - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86390590096

This group enjoys open-minded, respectful conversations. If we differ in our opinions, then "we agree to disagree". The long-term goal is to improve our minds via group discussions.

This meeting is free and open to the public.