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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.
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Stanford Bulletin, Archive 2008-09
Stanford Bulletin, Archive 2008-09
Graduate courses in Symbolic Systems
Primarily for graduate students; undergraduates may enroll with consent of instructor.
SYMBSYS 201. ICT, Society, and Democracy
The impact of information and communication technologies on social and political life. Interdisciplinary. Classic and contemporary readings focusing on topics such as social networks, virtual versus face-to-face communication, the public sphere, voting technology, and collaborative production.
3 units, Spr (Davies, T)
SYMBSYS 206. Topics in the Philosophy of Neuroscience
Does understanding the brain or computational models of the brain allow understanding of the mind? Recent literature on neurophilosophical and neuroskeptical approaches to the mind including perception, neurophenomenology, sensorimotor accounts, computational models, and eliminativism. Prerequisites: PHIL 80, and familiarity with philosophy or neuroscience, or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.
3 units, Aut (Skokowski, P)
SYMBSYS 209. Battles Over Bits
The changing nature of information in the Internet age and its relationship to human behavior. Philosophical assumptions underlying practices such as open source software development, file sharing, common carriage, and community wireless networks, contrasted with arguments for protecting private and commercial interests such as software patents, copy protection, copyright infringement lawsuits, and regulatory barriers. Theory and evidence from disciplines including psychology, economics, computer science, law, and political science. Prerequisite: PSYCH 40, 55, 70, or SYMBSYS 202.
3 units, not given this year
SYMBSYS 270. Decision Behavior: Theory and Evidence
(Same as SYMBSYS 170.) Introduction to the study of judgment and decision making, relating theory and evidence from disciplines such as psychology, economics, statistics, neuroscience, and philosophy. The development and critique of Homo economicus as a model of human behavior, and more recent theories based on empirical findings. Recommended: background in formal reasoning.
3-4 units, not given this year
SYMBSYS 290. Master's Degree Project
1-15 units, Aut (Staff), Win (Staff), Spr (Staff), Sum (Staff)
SYMBSYS 291. Master's Program Seminar
Enrollment limited to students in the Symbolic Systems M.S. degree program. May be repeated for credit.
1 unit, Aut (Davies, T), Win (Davies, T), Spr (Davies, T)
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