AI Simulations and Literary Fictions 3700-AL-AIS-OG
Konwersatorium (KON) Semestr zimowy 2024/25

[UNIT 1] Introduction: Meaning and Information

• October 7: Ted Chiang, “The Evolution of Human Science” (2002); Alexander Weinstein, “Children of the New World” (2016)

[UNIT 2] Fictions and Simulations

• October 14: Cord Jefferson, American Fiction (2023)

• October 21: Meghan O’Gieblyn, God, Human, Animal, Machine (2021)

[UNIT 3] Reality and Virtuality

• October 28: David J. Chalmers, Reality +. Virtual Worlds and Problems of Philosophy (2022)

• November 4: Antonin Artaud, The Theater of Cruelty (1932)

[UNIT 4] Person and Object

• November 18: René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (1641)

• November 25: Terrence J. Sejnowski, The Deep Learning Revolution (2018)

[UNIT 5] Passion and Action

• Decembre 2: Jean Racine, Phaedra (1677)

• December 9: Michel de Montaigne, “On Practice“ (1580-1595)

[UNIT 6] Life and Death:

• December 16: Tom Stoppard, The Hard Problem (2015)

• January 13: Jordan Harrison, Marjorie Prime (2016)

[UNIT 7] Conclusion:

• January 20: Seminar Symposium

The seminar discussion is the fundamental method of this class. Such discussion encompasses both the authors of the readings as well as all the students taking part in the seminar.

Such dialogic approach also informs the pre-recorded lectures, the readings, the optional online discussion forum, the synchronous class meetings, and the take-home quizzes.