Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7uJlvr54Kq8oJGrnq5158em0ooIGHMRO3LCs5L5YE9zYAdA/viewform

Grading and Logistics
All majors and grade levels are welcome. This course is worth 2 units, and we will meet twice a week for 50 minutes each. Attendance, active participation, and completion of reading assignments is required. This is a reading-intensive course; over the course of the semester, you will read no less than 500 pages. You may have to purchase, or otherwise obtain, no more than two books. Each week, you will write a short essay (500 words) responding to a topic discussed in class and in the readings. The class will culminate in a final project presentation, for which you can either (1) write a collection of poems about computer science, or (2) a program that writes poetry, or (3) a long (2000 word) essay or philosophical dialogue about an open research question, such as, “If a self-driving car has to kill this person or that person, who should it kill, and how should it make the decision?” “Are humans universal Turing machines?”, etc.

Detailed Grade Breakdown
• Attendance, participation, reading quizzes: 33%
• Weekly assignments: 33%. Each assignment is worth 4% of your grade, and there will be 9 assignments (thus you could, in principle, gain 36% of your grade through assignments).
• Final project: 33%
To pass the course, students must fulfill at least 71% of the above.

Grading Details
We do not expect you to have taken a philosophy class before (though it would be great if you have!). You will get a perfect score on your assignments as long as you show a genuine engagement with the topic— thoughtfulness in your words, openness toward others, and a willingness to fully participate. We are always available through email or office hours to answer questions, discuss difficult concepts, and address any other concerns. Of the three project options, (1), a collection of poems about computer science, and (2), a program that writes poetry, will be graded on a much higher bar than (3), a long (1000-2000 word) essay or dialogue about an open research question. For (1), a certain level of poetic mastery will be required; for (2), a certain level of technical mastery will be required. Choose (3) unless you have a specific, long-held vision and expertise to tackle (1) or (2).

Class will meet twice a week, 6-7pm in Dwinelle 229.

Visit Philosophy of Computation at Berkeley at pocab.org.

We will try our best to accommodate everyone. If that is not possible, we will draw a lottery.