Suggested preparation: Interest in cognitive science and artificial intelligence.
Optional preparation: Free MIT Course: Introduction to Psychology and Human Behavior.
About this course
Explore Marvin Minsky's Society of Mind perspective on cognition. The lectures examine emotion, common sense and the organization of mental processes through a conceptual approach to intelligence.
Topics and lesson examples
- 1. Introduction to 'The Society of Mind'
- 4. Question and Answer Session 1
- 7. Layered Knowledge Representations
- 10. Question and Answer Session 3
- 13. Closing Thoughts
Course at a glance
| Provider | MIT |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · MIT OpenCourseWare |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Intermediate — WikiFree study-level assessment |
| Language | English |
| Available lessons | 13 |
| Video duration | 23h 45m · self-paced |
| Details checked | 10 October 2026 |
Preparation and study approach
Suggested preparation: Interest in cognitive science and artificial intelligence.
Follow the available videos in sequence, pausing to summarize the main argument or reconstruct a worked example. Keep a short list of assumptions, unfamiliar terms and questions to revisit. Additional reading, problem solving and practice will take time beyond the listed video duration.
Using this video classroom
Select a lesson from the list, or search for a topic. Previous and Next move through the sequence. You can mark lessons complete; progress is stored in this browser without a WikiFree account.
Free access and course scope
The public MIT OpenCourseWare videos in this classroom are free to watch. This listing provides the available playlist recordings, which may include selected lectures, recitations, demonstrations or supporting discussions rather than every component of the original campus course. Textbooks, equipment, software licenses, supervised labs, graded assignments and instructor feedback are not supplied by WikiFree. No purchase is required to watch the videos or use the note-based study approach above.
WikiFree independently organizes these resources for self-paced study. Watching does not award an MIT certificate, academic credit or admission to MIT.
Video provider and credit: MIT OpenCourseWare on YouTube. WikiFree titles, descriptions and cover artwork are independently prepared.
Related courses for your next step
- Complementary learningFree MIT Course: Introduction to Psychology and Human Behavior
Review introductory psychology before exploring theories of mind.
Focus: MIT Course: Introduction to Psychology and Human Behavior
Beginner - Complementary learningFree MIT Course: Human Brain Function and Cognitive Neuroscience
Connect cognitive ideas with the study of human brain function.
Focus: 1. Introduction to the Human Brain · 6. Introduction to the Human Brain
Intermediate
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free MIT Course: Cognitive Science and the Society of Mind | Intermediate | 1. Introduction to 'The Society of Mind' · 4. Question and Answer Session 1 · 7. Layered Knowledge Representations | 23h 45m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Introduction to Psychology and Human Behavior | Beginner | MIT Course: Introduction to Psychology and Human Behavior | 23h 1m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Human Brain Function and Cognitive Neuroscience | Intermediate | 1. Introduction to the Human Brain · 6. Introduction to the Human Brain · 10. Development, Nature & Nurture I | 20h 9m of video; practice time is additional |
Provider: MIT. Videos play from the MIT OpenCourseWare channel on YouTube.
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