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Philosophy of Mind John Heil

Philosophy of Mind By John Heil

Philosophy of Mind by John Heil


Summary

A comprehensive and accessible survey of main themes, positions and debates in philosophy of mind, this text introduces and discusses the major topics in succinct, user-friendly, self-contained chapters. There are annotated suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, updated to include recent material and internet resources.

Philosophy of Mind Summary

Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction by John Heil

Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction is a comprehensive and accessible survey of main themes, positions and debates in philosophy of mind. John Heil introduces and discusses the major topics in succinct, user-friendly, self-contained chapters:

* Cartesian dualism
* Descartes's legacy
* non-Cartesian dualism
* behaviorism
* the identity theory
* functionalism
* the representational theory of mind
* qualia
* radical interpretation
* the intentional stance
* eliminativism
* property dualism
* mind and metaphysics
* the mind's place in nature

This revised and updated edition includes expanded chapters on eliminativism, qualia, and the representational theory of mind, and an entirely new chapter on property dualism. There are annotated suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, updated to include recent material and internet resources.

Philosophy of Mind Reviews

'I enjoyed reading this book immensely and think very hightly indeed of it both as a student text and as a serious work of philosophy. It is well-organized, well-informed, up-to-date, comprehensive in scope, and written in an extremely clear and accessible style.' - E. J. Lowe, Durham University, on the 1st edition 'It is pitched at the right level for undergraduates... The book reads as the work of a very good philosopher who wants to introduce students to the topic.' - Times Higher Education Supplement, on the 1st edition 'Contains some of the clearest and most penetrating discussions I have ever read of functionalism and of the interpretative accounts of Davidson and Dennett. This fact alone makes the book an appealing candidate for upper-level undergraduate courses.' - Philosophical Quarterley, on the 1st edition

About John Heil

John Heil is Professor of Philosophy at Washington University, US, and Professor of Philosophy at Monash University, Australia. His previous publications include The Nature of True Minds (1992) and From an Ontological Perspective (2003).

Table of Contents

Preface to the second edition Preface to the first edition 1. Introduction 1.1 Experience and reality 1.2 The unavoidability of the philosophy of mind 1.3 Science and metaphysics 1.4 Metaphysics and cognitive science 1.5 A look ahead Suggested reading 2. Cartesian Dualism 2.1 Science and philosophy 2.2 Descartes's Dualism 2.3 Substances, attributes, and modes 2.4 The metaphysics of Cartesian Dualism 2.5 Mind-body interaction Suggested reading 3. Decartes's legacy 3.1 Dualism without interaction 3.2 Parallelism 3.3 Occasionalism 3.4 Causation and occasionalism 3.5 Idealism 3.6 Mind and meaning 3.7 Epiphenomealism Suggested reading 4. Non-Cartesian Dualism 4.1 Three facets of Cartesian Dualism 4.2 Individuating substances 4.3 Metaphysical interlude 4.4 Substance dualism 4.5 Self-body interaction 4.6 Taking stock Suggested reading 5. Behaviourism 5.1 Moving away from Dualism 5.2 Historical and philosophical background 5.3 Privacy and its consequences 5.4 The beetle in the box 5.5 Philosophical behaviourism 5.6 Dispositions 5.7 Behavioural analysis 5.8 Sensation 5.9 The legacy of philosophical behaviourism 5.10 Intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics 5.11 Psychological behaviourism 5.12 The demise of behaviourism Suggested reading 6. The identity theory 6.1 Correlation to identification 6.2 Parsimony 6.3 Self-conscious thought 6.4 Locating mental qualities 6.5 Substance, properties, states, and events 6.6 Predicates and properties 6.7 Strict identity 6.8 Leibniz's law 6.9 The $64 question 6.10 Qualities of experiences and qualities experienced 6.11 Epistemological loose ends 6.12 Taking stock Suggested reading 7. Functionalism 7.1 The emergence of functionalism 7.2 The functionalist picture 7.3 Abstraction as partial consideration 7.4 Minds as computing machines 7.5 Functional explanation 7.6 Functionalist ontology 7.7 Functionalism and materialism 7.8 Functional properties 7.9 Mental properties as functional properties 7.10 Functionalism and behaviourism 7.11 Characterizing functional states 7.12 Total functional systems Suggested reading 8. The representational theory of mind 8.1 Mental representation 8.2 Semantic engines 8.3 The mind as a semantic engine 8.4 The Chinese room 8.5 From syntax to semantics 8.6 Levels of description 8.7 Levels of description and the special sciences 8.8 From taxonomy to ontology 8.9 Layers of reality Suggested reading 9. Qualia 9.1 Qualities of conscious experience 9.2 Zombies 9.3 Biting the bullet 9.4 Living without Qualia 9.5 The mystery of consciousness Suggested reading 10. Radical interpretation 10.1 Minds as constructs 10.2 Davidson and the propositional attitudes 10.3 Semantic opacity 10.4 Radical interpretation: Background issues 10.5 T-theories 10.6 From T-theories to I-theories 10. 7 Decision theory 10.8 Charity 10.9 Indeterminacy 10.10 The omniscient interpreter 10.11 Interpretation and measurement 10.12 Structures and content 10.13 Mental causation and the propositional attitudes 10.14 An apparent regress Suggested reading 11. The intentonal stance 11.1 From Davidson to Dennett 11.2 Taking a stance 11.3 From intentional stance to design stance 11.4 From design stance to physical stance 11.5 The emerging picture 11.6 Thought and language 11.7 Kinds of mind 11.8 Consciousness 11.9 Searle's objection Suggested reading 12. Eliminativism 12.1 From instrumentalism to eliminativism 12.2 Theories and theory reduction 12.3 Stitch's argument 12.4 Is eliminativism self-refuting? Suggested reading 13. Property Dualism 13.1 From substances to properties 13.2 Appearance and reality 13.3 Mental causation 13.4 Mental-material supervienience 13.5 Causal relevance 13.6 The causal relevance of mental properties 13.7 The upshot 13.8 Conclusion Suggested reading 14. Mind and metaphysics 14.1 The status of philosophies of mind 14.2 Metaphysical p

Additional information

GOR001672955
9780415283564
0415283566
Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction by John Heil
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Taylor & Francis Ltd
20040520
280
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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