Philosophy of mind Books

Book SynopsisNew edition, including a new introduction by the author, of this inspiring guide to developing your full potential. A perfect buy for the business market as well as those wishing to explore their power of their brain, this book shows you how to imitate Leonardo Da Vinci's thought processes and so enhance your aptitude in every area of your life.Learn how to fulfill your true potential by developing the thought processes used by Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci. Simply by imitating his insatiable quest for information and experience, we can all enhance our own aptitude in all facets of our lives.Michael Gelb discusses the seven fundamental elements of Da Vinci's thought process and offers practical ways to incorporate them into our own lives. The techniques outlined in the book help readers to develop the same traits of whole-brain thinking, creative problem solving and continuous learning, all of which are vital in today's world.Numerous exercises, anecdotes and illustrations help Trade Review‘Buy it. Read it. Live it!’ TONY BUZAN ‘By capturing the very essence of Da Vinci’s life and genius- the seeming perfect integration of mind, body, spirit and soul- Michael Gelb guides us in a discovery and understanding of the boundlessness of our own full human potential.’ DEEPAK CHOPRA ‘A brilliant and practical guide to awakening and training our vast, unused resources of intelligence and ability… Get this book and stick with it.’ TED HUGHES

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy do people reject science and believe online conspiracy theories? How are people radicalized online and go on to commit acts of violence? Why is our society so politically polarized?Astonishingly irrational ideas are spreading. Covid denial persists in the face of overwhelming evidence. Anti-vaxxers compromise public health. Conspiracy thinking hijacks minds and incites mob violence. Toxic partisanship is cleaving nations, And climate denial has pushed our planet to the brink. Meanwhile, American Nazis march openly in the streets, and Flat Earth theory is back. What the heck is going on? Why is all this happening, and why now? More important, what can we do about it?In Mental Immunity, Andy Norman shows that these phenomena share a root cause. We live in a time when the so-called ?right to your opinion? is thought to trump our responsibilities. The resulting ethos effectively compromises mental immune systems, allowing ?mind parasites? to overrun them. Conspiracy theories, evidence-defying ideologies, garden-variety bad ideas: these are all species of mind parasite, and each of them employs clever strategies to circumvent mental immune systems. In fact, some of them compromise cultural immune systems ? the things societies do to prevent bad ideas from spreading. Norman shows why all of this is more than mere analogy: minds and cultures really do have immune systems, and they really can break down. Fortunately, they can also be built up: strengthened against ideological corruption. He calls for a rigorous science of mental immune health ? what he calls ?cognitive immunology? ? and explains how it could revolutionize our capacity for critical thinking.Hailed as ?a feast for thought,? Mental Immunity melds cutting-edge work in science and philosophy into an ?astonishingly enlightening and productive? solution to the signature problem of our age. A practical guide to spotting and removing bad ideas, a stirring call to transcend petty tribalism, and a serious bid to bring humanity to its senses.Trade Review“A splendid idea for a book: original, controversial, and timely." — Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works and Enlightenment Now “Important, provocative, and just what humanity needs!” — Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit “Gentle yet powerful, humble yet wise. . . .A feast for thought.” — Patricia Churchland, author of Conscience and Touching a Nerve “The most important book you will read this year.” — Brian Hare, coauthor of Survival of the Friendliest “Astonishingly enlightening and productive.” — Michael Tomasello, author of Becoming Human and A Natural History of Human Thinking “An exhilarating ride . . . destined to change the way we think about science and religion.” — Lee McIntyre, author of Post-Truth and How to Talk to a Science Denier “Norman’s tools for inoculating minds should be taught to everyone. . . .A masterful treatise.” — Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic and author of The Moral Arc and Heavens on Earth “Charming, simple, and intelligent narration carrying ideas that can change the world.” — Eric Lotke, author of Making Manna and Union Made “A fine example of philosophy at work to solve real social problems.” — Peter Singer, Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University “A thrilling expedition on an emerging scientific frontier.” — Dennis Trumble, author of The Way of Science

Read more less

Book SynopsisRamana Maharshi was one of the most significant spiritual teachers to emerge from India during the first half of the century, and remains widely admired. This recent collection of conversations between him and the many seekers who came to his ashram for guidance contains the essence of his teaching. His concern throughout his long life of imparting his experience to others was to convince his listeners that self-realisation - or enlightenment - is not an alien or mysterious state, but the natural condition of man. This state can be easily discovered by undertaking the self-investigation clearly described in these talks. The lucid instructions to each section provide further illumination of this greater seer''s message.Table of ContentsThe Teachings of Sriramana MaharshiAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart One: The Self1. The nature of the Self2. Self-awareness and Self-ignorance3. The jnaniPart Two: Enquiry and Surrender4. Self-enquiry—theory5. Self-enquiry—practice6. Self-enquiry—misconceptions7. SurrenderPart Three: The Guru8. The Guru9. Silence and sat-sangaPart Four: Meditation and Yoga10. Meditation and concentration11. Mantras and japa12. Life in the world13. YogaPart Five: Experience14. Samadhi15. Visions and psychic powers16. Problems and experiencesPart Six: Theory17. Creation theories and the reality of the world18. Reincarnation19. The nature of God20. Suffering and morality21. Karma, destiny and free willGlossaryNotes and referencesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe writings of William James represent one of America''s most original contributions to the history of ideas. Ranging from philosophy and psychology to religion and politics, James composed the most engaging formulation of American pragmatism. ''Pragmatism'' grew out of a set of lectures and the full text is included here along with ''The Meaning of Truth'', ''Psychology'', ''The Will to Believe'', and ''Talks to Teachers on Psychology''.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Giles GunnSuggestions for Further ReadingA Note on the TextsPragmatism (1907)PrefaceLecture I: The Present Dilemma in PhilosophyLecture II: What Pragmatism MeansLecture III: Some Metaphysical Problems Pragmatically ConsideredLecture IV: The One and the ManyLecture V: Pragmatism and Common SenseLecture VI: Pragmatism's Conception of TruthLecture VII: Pragmatism and HumanismLecture VIII: Pragmatism and ReligionFrom The Meaning of Truth (1909)PrefaceThe Tigers in IndiaHumanism and TruthFrom Psychology: Briefer Course (1892)The Stream of ConsciousnessFrom The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy (1897)PrefaceThe Will to BelieveIs Life Worth Living?The Moral Philosopher and the Moral LifeFrom Talks to Teachers on Psychology: And to Students on Some of Life's Ideals (1899)II. On a Certain Blindness in Human BeingsIII. What Makes a Life SignificantMiscellaneous EssaysAddress at the Centenary of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1903)A World of Pure Experience (1904)Is Radical Empiricism Solipsistic? (1905)Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis epoch-making book cuts through confused thinking and forces us to re-examine many cherished ideas about knowledge, imagination, consciousness and the intellect. The result is a classic example of philosophy.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Required reading for anyone remotely curious about how they came to be remotely curious'' Observer''Enthralling'' Spectator What is human consciousness and how is it possible? These questions fascinate thinking people from poets and painters to physicists, psychologists, and philosophers. This is Daniel C. Dennett''s brilliant answer, extending perspectives from his earlier work in surprising directions, exploring the deep interactions of evolution, brains and human culture. Part philosophical whodunnit, part bold scientific conjecture, this landmark work enlarges themes that have sustained Dennett''s career at the forefront of philosophical thought. In his inimitable style, laced with wit and thought experiments, Dennett shows how culture enables reflection by installing a profusion of thinking tools, or memes, in our brains, and how language turbocharges this process. The result: a mind that can comprehend the questions itTrade ReviewIntelligence, insight and flair ... They don't come much bigger than Daniel Dennett -- Julian Baggini * Guardian *Lucid ... A brave and bracing book ... There should be more like it * The Times *Required reading for anyone remotely curious about how they came to be remotely curious * Observer *A lively and cogent account of how human beings, uniquely among species, have evolved to possess a conscious mind ... An excellent exploration of the concept of cultural evolution, and the origins and consequences of human creativity * Sunday Times *Beguiling and enthralling * Spectator *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewModern physics has found its poet. A captivating, fascinating, profoundly beautiful book. . . Rovelli is a wonderfully humane, gentle and witty guide for he is as much philosopher and poet as he is a scientist -- John Banville * Irish Times *Wonderful. . . Time is something we think we know about instinctively; here he shows how profoundly strange it really is -- Philip Pullman * Guardian *Full of staggering revelations... I could (and will) read and think about such things again and again until they begin to sink in -- Maggie Nelson * New York Times *This book has been a kind of bible for me. When life feels strange, Rovelli's books remind me that there is beauty in the strangeness. The Order of Time is one of those books that I will always go back to -- Johny PittsExtraordinary. . . you should read it -- Nick Hornby * Believer *Brings the most difficult ideas alive in clear, appealing language. It is as close as I've come to a physics lesson that almost suggests the meaning of life -- Rory StewartMeet the new Stephen Hawking. . . I've never seen special relativity explained so well, never visualised it less fuzzily, never felt such a jolt of shock at what it implies -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *A dizzying, poetic work in which I found myself abandoning everything I thought I knew about time -- Charlotte Higgins * Guardian *Enlightening... gives poetic voice to the common human experience of moving through time, while simultaneously leaving the reader much more equipped to understand how exactly that happens. . . A resounding affirmation of the humanity behind science * Time magazine, Best Nonfiction Books of the 2010s *I consider Carlo Rovelli to be a poet as much as a physicist. . . Everybody should read this book -- Es DevlinA joy to read. . . Rovelli writes easily, vividly and brilliantly - he is as at ease with Beethoven as he is with Boltzmann's constant, and verses by Horace launch each chapter, one of which ends with a couplet from the Grateful Dead. . . A delight -- Tim Radford * Guardian *A deep - and remarkably readable - dive into the fundamental nature of time. . . written with enough charm and poetry to engage the imagination of anyone who reads it -- Clive Cookson * Financial Times *Anyone with the least interest in the science of the physical world will be by turns astonished, baffled and thrilled by what Rovelli has to say about the true nature of time, which has little in common with our everyday conception of it -- John Banville * Guardian *Highly original. . . The heart and humanity of the book, its poetry and its gentle tone raise it to the level and style of such great scientist-writers as Lewis Thomas and Rachel Carson -- Alan Lightman * New York Times Book Review *Rovelli is one of our great scientific explicators. . . Not since Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time has there been so genial an integration of physics and philosophy -- Ian Thomson * Observer *Physics' literary superstar makes us rethink time. . . The Order of Time will surely establish Rovelli among the pantheon of great scientist-communicators -- Philip Ball * New Scientist *An elegantly concise primer makes theoretical physics intelligible. . . stunningly written -- Tom Whipple * The Times *A masterly writer. . . In this little gem of a book, Mr. Rovelli demolishes our common-sense notion of time. . . an ambitious book that illuminates a thorny question and succeeds in being a pleasurable read -- Priyamvada Natarajan * Wall Street Journal *Carlo Rovelli has achieved almost prophetic status -- Julian Baggini * Prospect *The physicist transforming how we see the universe * Financial Times *With the publication of his million-selling Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Carlo Rovelli took his place with Stephen Hawking and Richard Feynman as one of the great popularisers of modern theoretical physics -- Sam Leith * Spectator *The most fun physicist to be with -- as well as the greatest explainer of physics -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFind happiness by living fully in the present with this definitive guide to ichigo ichie--the Japanese art of making the most of every moment--from the bestselling authors of Ikigai.Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever--an idea captured by the Japanese phrase ichigo ichie (pronounced itchy-GO itchy-A). Often spoken in Japan when greeting someone or saying goodbye, to convey that the encounter is unique and special, it is a tenet of Zen Buddhism and is attributed to a sixteenth-century master of the Japanese tea ceremony, or ceremony of attention, whose intricate rituals compel us to focus on the present moment.From this age-old concept comes a new kind of mindfulness. In The Book of Ichigo Ichie, you will learn to...appreciate the beauty of the fleeting, the way the Japanese celebrate the cherry blossoms for two weeks every April, knowing they''ll have to wait a whole year to see them again;use all five senses to anchor yourself in the present, helping you to let go of fear, sadness, anger, and other negative emotions fueled by fixating on the past or the future;be alert to the magic of coincidences, which help us find meaning among the disconnected events of our lives;use ichigo ichie to help you discover your ikigai, or life''s purpose--because it''s only by learning to be present, to be tuned into what catches your attention and excites you in the moment, that you can identify what it is that most motivates you and brings you happiness.Every one of us contains a key that can open the door to attention, harmony with others, and love of life. And that key is ichigo ichie.A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE Trade Review“[Ichigo ichie is] a hopeful practice, a promise that while we’ll never get these moments back, we can squeeze a whole lot of life out of them before they go poof.” —The Washington Post“A hopeful and practical guide to relishing everyday experiences and living in the moment . . . Filled with anecdotes, parables, and lessons, this [is a] reassuring handbook.” —Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book SynopsisSick of striving? Giving up on grit? Had enough of hustle culture? Daunted by the 10,000-hour rule? Relax: As the French know, it's the best way to be better at everything.In the realm of love, what could be less seductive than someone who's trying to seduce you? Seduction is the art of succeeding without trying, and that's a lesson the French have mastered. We can see it in their laissez-faire parenting, chic style, haute cuisine, and enviable home cooking: They barely seem to be trying, yet the results are world-famous--thanks to a certain je ne sais quoi that is the key to a more creative, fulfilling, and productive life. For fans of both Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life, philosopher Ollivier Pourriol's The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard draws on the examples of such French legends as Descartes, Stendhal, Rodin, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Fran&ccedilTrade Review“Compelling . . . Pourriol set out to write a readable ‘airport book,’ and he has succeeded. . . . In a year of struggle and travel bans, owing to COVID-19, which makes it impossible for Americans to visit France, this title comes at a perfect time.” ―Library Journal“[An] amusing and interesting read; even Pourriol’s description of his approach to the material is a lesson in the laissez-faire outlook. Is this likely to change readers’ lives? Peut être pas, but it is fun to think that it might.” ―Booklist“A thought-provoking and delightful book. Pourriol dismisses it as an airport read. Yet somehow, apparently without effort, he has turned it into so much more. . . . [It is like] a pastry: rich and light rather than stuff to be endlessly chewed over.” ―Daily Mail“A laissez-faire guide to self-help. This is a book for those who aspire to the déshabillé, Serge-Gainsbourg-and-Jane-Birkin-morning-after look and the studied negligence of the Parisian Bobo (bourgeois-bohemian).” ―The Times (London)“There are many gems to be found.” ―OUTinPerth

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe book comes at a particularly opportune political moment, as much of the world is experiencing upsurges in group-directed hatred. The author's analysis of this form of hatred and, particularly, her suggestions for how to address it make this book indispensable. * R. R. Cornelius, CHOICE *In this important and timely work, Berit Brogaard takes on an profoundly important topic that has been surprisingly neglected by other philosophers: the psychology of hatred. Brogaard's artful exploration of the ways our animosities shape our lives is at once deeply disturbing and profoundly engaging; the reader who follows her to journey's end will be rewarded with a deepened understanding of what is it is be human, and how we all might be human better. Hatred is a remarkably substantial, sophisticated, and spirited contribution to public philosophy, and I wish we had lot more philosophy like it. * John Doris, Cornell University *Hate turns into a wonderfully fertile source of serious thinking in Berit Brogaard's hands. When it is morally defensible to hate? When is it dehumanizing? If how and what we hate defines us, here is a timely and thoughtful manual on how to hate better and more critically. * Laura Kipnis, Northwestern University *Table of Contents1. Hit Me with Your Best Shot: An Anatomy of the Antagonistic Emotions 2. It's a Thin Line between Love and Hate: When We Hate the People We Love 3. Angel of Retribution: Vengeance and Hate's Justification 4. Bad to the Bone: Hate as a Trait 5. Killing in the Name Of: Collective Intentionality and Group Hate 6. Baby, It's in Your Nature: Misogyny, Femininity and Female Filth 7. Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal: The American Phantasy 8. A Change is Gonna Come: Hate Speech, Group Libel and Rational Discourse

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat turns the continuous flow of experience into perceptually distinct objects? Can our verbal descriptions unambiguously capture what it is like to see, hear, or feel? How might we reason about the testimony that perception alone discloses? Christian Coseru proposes a rigorous and highly original way to answer these questions by developing a framework for understanding perception as a mode of apprehension that is intentionally constituted, pragmatically oriented, and causally effective. By engaging with recent discussions in phenomenology and analytic philosophy of mind, but also by drawing on the work of Husserl and Merleau-Ponty, Coseru offers a sustained argument that Buddhist philosophers, in particular those who follow the tradition of inquiry initiated by Dign?ga and Dharmak?rti, have much to offer when it comes to explaining why epistemological disputes about the evidential role of perceptual experience cannot satisfactorily be resolved without taking into account the structurTrade ReviewA well-crafted and important work, a work that will without doubt influence the discussion of Buddhist epistemology, and the analysis of the relation between Buddhist thought and phenomenology for years to come. * Mind *This excellent book takes cross-cultural philosophy to a new high point by combining Indian Buddhist philosophy with Western phenomenology and philosophy of mind. Offering a rich account of perceptual consciousness, Coseru also casts new light on attention, sensation, self-awareness, and conceptualization. Philosophers of mind and Buddhist scholars alike will find many new insights throughout this groundbreaking book. * Evan Thompson, author of Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology and the Sciences of Mind *Perceiving Reality is a masterful study of Buddhist epistemology. It is first and foremost a substantial contribution to the philosophical literature, developing a compelling account of epistemic authority in the context of the phenomenology of perception. It is also an excellent study of Indian Buddhist epistemological inquiry. The philology is impeccable. But it is always in the service of philosophy. Philosophers and Buddhologists must pay attention to Coseru's book. * Jay Garfield, Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Smith College *Perceiving Reality is a sophisticated defense of phenomenological naturalism in the philosophy of mind. A striking feature of this book is the outstanding re-descriptions of Indian Buddhist theory in a vibrant contemporary language, testament to the great dexterity with which Coseru moves in the thought-worlds of both classical Buddhism and contemporary phenomenology. Essential reading in the case it makes for comparative philosophy of mind; in particular, the significance of Indian Buddhist analysis in modern discussions of intentionality, self-consciousness, and conceptual content. * Jonardon Ganeri, author of The Self: Naturalism, Consciousness, and the First-Person Stance *In both the breadth of his study and the important questions it raises, Coseru's work accomplishes a great deal. It will find an important place in the study of Buddhist philosophy. * H-Net *The insights of [Coseru's] phenomenological interpretation of Buddhist theories of perception and self-awareness allow these ancient ideas to become live options for current debates in the philosophy of mind. Moreover, the ample references to empirical research lay the groundwork for further Buddhist engagement with the scientific study of consciousness and cognition. * Philosophy East and West *Table of ContentsContents ; Abbreviations ; Acknowledgments ; 1. Introduction: Taking the Structure of Awareness Seriously ; 2. Naturalizing Buddhist Epistemology ; 2.1. Doctrine and Argument ; 2.2. Reason and Conceptual Analysis ; 2.3. Interpretation and Discourse Analysis ; 2.4. Cognition as Enactive Transformation ; 2.5. Logic and the Subjectivity of Thought ; 2.6. Phenomenological Epistemology and the Project of Naturalism ; 3. Sensation and the Empirical Consciousness ; 3.1. No-self and the Domains of Experience ; 3.2. Two Dimensions of Mind: Consciousness as Discernment and Sentience ; 3.3. Attention and Mental Proliferation ; 3.4. Cognitive Awareness and Its Object ; 4. Perception, Conception, and Language ; 4.1. Shared Notions about Perceptual Knowledge ; 4.2. Debating the Criteria for Reliable Cognition ; 4.3. Cognitive Aspects and Linguistic Conventions ; 4.4. Epistemology as Cognitive Event Theory ; 5. An Encyclopedic and Compassionate Setting for Buddhist Epistemology ; 5.1. Dependent Arising and Compassion ; 5.2. Mapping the Ontological and Epistemological Domains ; 5.3. Perception and the Principle of Clarity ; 6. Perception as an Epistemic Modality ; 6.1. The Conditions for Perceptual Knowledge ; 6.2. Perception, Conception, and the Problem of Naming ; 6.3. Phenomenal Content, Phenomenal Character, and the Problem of Reference ; 6.4. Cognitive Errors and Perceptual Illusions ; 7. Foundationalism and the Phenomenology of Perception ; 7.1. Intrinsic Ascertainment and the "Given" ; 7.2. Particulars and Phenomenal Objects ; 7.3. Foundationalism and Its Malcontents ; 7.4. Naturalism and Its Discontents ; 7.5. Beyond Representation: An Enactive Perception Theory ; 8. Perception, Self-Awareness, and Intentionality ; 8.1. Reflexivity and the Aspectual Nature of Intentional Reference ; 8.2. Phenomenal Objects and the Cognitive Subconscious ; 8.3. The Intentional Structure of Awareness ; 8.4. An Epistemological Conundrum: Explaining the Subject-Object Relation ; 9. In Defense of Epistemological Optimism ; 9.1. A Moving Horizon ; 9.2. Embodied Consciousness: Beyond "Seeing" and "Seeing As" ; 9.3. Epistemic Authority Without Manifest Truth ; Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 1950s, John Reber convinced many Californians that the best way to solve the state''s water shortage problem was to dam up the San Francisco Bay. Against massive political pressure, Reber''s opponents persuaded lawmakers that doing so would lead to disaster. They did this not by empirical measurement alone, but also through the construction of a model. Simulation and Similarity explains why this was a good strategy while simultaneously providing an account of modeling and idealization in modern scientific practice. Michael Weisberg focuses on concrete, mathematical, and computational models in his consideration of the nature of models, the practice of modeling, and nature of the relationship between models and real-world phenomena. In addition to a careful analysis of physical, computational, and mathematical models, Simulation and Similarity offers a novel account of the model/world relationship. Breaking with the dominant tradition, which favors the analysis of this relation tTrade ReviewMichael Weisberg has given us a lovely book on models. It has very broad coverage of issues intersecting the nature of models and their use, an extensive consideration of long ignored concrete models with a rich case study, a discussion and classification of the many diverse kinds of models, and a particularly groundbreaking and innovative discussion of similarity concerning how models relate to the world ... his analysis is both clear and rich. * William C. Wimsatt, Biology and Philosophy *[This book] is lively, well-written, and should be accessible to novice audiences as well as informative and provocative to disciplinary insiders. It skillfully makes use of a relatively small set of carefully explained and not-overly-complicated examples to give an account that succeeds in being sophisticated and attentive to the details of scientific practice without getting overly mired in the details of 'case studies' that sometimes plague the literature on scientific modeling. * Eric Winsberg, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *[Simulation and Similarity] is well written and detailed in its exposition, providing concrete examples to ground the discussion. It is a very interesting complement to standard mathematical modeling treatments for scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. * R. A. Kolvoord CHOICE *...a compelling account of models and can be highly recommended to philosophers of science as well as to scientists of any particular discipline, especially those practicing modeling and simulation in their everydays work. * V. S. Pronskikh, Metascience *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface ; 1 Introduction ; 1.1 Two Aquatic Puzzles ; 1.2 Models of Modeling ; 2 Three Kinds of Models ; 2.1 Concrete Model: The San Francisco Bay-Delta Model ; 2.2 Mathematical Model: Lotka-Volterra Model ; 2.3 Computational Model: Schelling's Segregation Model ; 2.4 Common Features of these Models ; 2.5 Only Three Types of Models? ; 2.6 Fewer Than Three Types of Model? ; 3 The Anatomy of Models: Structure & Construal ; 3.1 Structure ; 3.1.1 Concrete Structures ; 3.1.2 Mathematical ; 3.1.3 Computational ; 3.2 Model Descriptions ; 3.3 Construal ; 3.4 Representational Capacity of Structures ; 4 Fictions and Folk Ontology ; 4.1 Against Maths: Individuation, Causes, and Face Value Practice ; 4.2 A Simple Fictions Account ; 4.3 Enriching the Simple Account ; 4.3.1 Waltonian Fictionalism ; 4.3.2 Fictions without Models ; 4.4 Why I am not a Fictionalist ; 4.4.1 Variation ; 4.4.2 Representational Capacity of Different Models ; 4.4.3 Making Sense of Modeling ; 4.4.4 Variation in Practice ; 4.5 Folk ontology ; 4.6 Maths, Interpretation, and Folk Ontology ; 5 Target Directed Modeling ; 5.1 Model Development ; 5.2 Analysis of the Model ; 5.2.1 Complete Analysis ; 5.2.2 Goal-directed Analysis ; 5.3 Model/Target Comparison ; 5.3.1 Phenomena and Target Systems ; 5.3.2 Establishing the fit between Model and Target ; 5.3.3 Representations of Targets ; 6 Idealization ; 6.1 Three Kinds of Idealization ; 6.1.1 Galilean idealization ; 6.1.2 Minimalist idealization ; 6.1.3 Multiple Models Idealization ; 6.2 Representational Ideals and Fidelity Criteria ; 6.2.1 Completeness ; 6.2.2 Simplicity ; 6.2.3 1-Causal ; 6.2.4 Maxout ; 6.2.5 P-General ; 6.3 Idealization and Representational Ideals ; 6.4 Idealization and Target Directed Modeling ; 7 Modeling Without a Specific Target ; 7.1 Generalized Modeling ; 7.1.1 How Possibly Explanations ; 7.1.2 Minimal Models and First Order Causal Structures ; 7.2 Hypothetical Modeling ; 7.2.1 Contingent Non-existence: xDNA ; 7.2.2 Impossible Targets: Infinite Population Growth and Perpetual Motion ; 7.3 Targetless Modeling ; 7.4 A Moving Target: The Case of Three-sex Biology ; 8 An Account of Similarity ; 8.1 Desiderata for Model/World Relations ; 8.2 Model Theoretic Accounts ; 8.3 Similarity ; 8.4 Tversky's Contrast Account ; 8.5 Attributes and Mechanisms ; 8.6 Feature Sets, Construals, and Target Systems ; 8.7 Modeling Goals and Weighting Parameters ; 8.8 Weighting Function and Background Theory ; 8.9 Satisfying the Desiderata ; 9 Robustness Analysis and Idealization ; 9.1 Levins and Wimsatt on Robustness ; 9.2 Robust Theorems ; 9.3 Three Kinds of Robustness ; 9.3.1 Parameter Robustness ; 9.3.2 Structural Robustness ; 9.3.3 Representational Robustness ; 9.4 Robustness and Confirmation ; 10 Conclusion: The Practice of Modeling ; References

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Moral Responsibility is a collection of 33 articles by leading international scholars on the topic of moral responsibility and its main forms, praiseworthiness and blameworthiness. The articles in the volume provide a comprehensive survey on scholarship on this topic since 1960, with a focus on the past three decades. Articles address the nature of moral responsibility - whether it is fundamentally a matter of deserved blame and praise, or whether it is grounded anticipated good consequences, such as moral education and formation, or whether there are different kinds of moral responsibility. They examine responsibility for both actions and omissions, whether responsibility comes in degrees, and whether groups such as corporations can be responsible. The traditional debates about moral responsibility focus on the threats posed from causal determinism, and from the absence of the ability to do otherwise that may result. The articles in this volume build on these arTable of ContentsIntroduction Dana Kay Nelkin and Derk Pereboom I. Theories of Responsibility 1. Instrumentalist Theories of Responsibility Manuel Vargas 2. Reasons-Responsiveness, Frankfurt Examples, and the Free Will Ability Michael McKenna 3. Attributionist Theories of Responsibility Matthew Talbert II. Kinds of Responsibility 4. Attributability, Answerability, and Accountability: On Different Kinds of Moral Responsibility Sofia Jeppsson III. Dimensions of Responsibility 5. Responsibility for Acts and Omissions Randolph Clarke 6. Degrees of Responsibility Justin Coates 7. Group Responsibility Christian List IV. Determinism and the Ability to Do Otherwise 8. Moral Responsibility, Alternative Possibilities, and Frankfurt Examples Derk Pereboom 9. Manipulation Arguments against Compatibilism Derk Pereboom and Michael McKenna V. Skepticism 10. Illusionism Saul Smilansky 11. Free Will Skepticism and Criminal Justice: The Public Health-Quarantine Model Gregg D. Caruso 12. Metaskepticism Tamler Sommers VI. Blame 13. Blame and Holding Responsible Angela Smith 14. Responsibility and the Reactive Attitudes R. Jay Wallace 15. Response-Dependence Accounts of Blameworthiness David Shoemaker VII. Responsibility, Knowledge, and Causation 16. Ethics is Hard! What Follows? On Moral Ignorance and Blame Elizabeth Harman 17. Responsibility and Causation Carolina Sartorio VIII. Responsibility, Law, and Justice 18. Responsibility, Punishment, and Predominant Retributivism David Brink 19. Legal Responsibility: Psychopathy, a Case Study Elizabeth Shaw 20. Responsibility and Distributive Justice Richard Arneson IX. Responsibility, Neuroscience, and Psychology 21. Responsibility and Neuroscience Alfred R. Mele 22. Responsibility and Consciousness Peter Carruthers and Matt King 23. Responsibility and Situationism Brandon Warmke 24. Experimental Philosophy and Moral Responsibility Gunnar Björnsson X. Responsibility, Relationships, and Meaning in Life 25. Moral Responsibility and Existential Attitudes Paul Russell 26. Relationships and Responsibility Dana Kay Nelkin 27. Responsibility, Personal Relationships, and the Significance of the Reactive Attitudes Seth Shabo 28. Forgiveness Per-Erik Milam 29. Reconciliation and he End of Responsibility Linda Radzik 30. Responsibility and Religion Dan Speak XI. Case Studies 31. Moral Responsibility in the Context of Addiction Doug McConnell 32. Moral Responsibility for Implicit Bias and the Impact of Social Categorization Maureen Sie 33. Atrocity, Evil, and Responsibility John Doris and Dominic Murphy

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy do we remember events from our childhood as if they happened yesterday, but not what we did last week? Why does our memory seem to work well sometimes and not others? What happens when it goes wrong? Can memory be improved or manipulated, by psychological techniques or even ''brain implants''? How does memory grow and change as we age? And what of so-called ''recovered'' memories? This book brings together the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, and weaves in case-studies, anecdotes, and even literature and philosophy, to address these and many other important questions about the science of memory - how it works, and why we can''t live without it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. You Are Your Memory ; 2. Mapping Your Memories ; 3. Pulling the Rabbit Out of the Hat... ; 4. Sometimes It Works and Sometimes It Doesn't ; 5. Losing It ; 6. The Seven Ages of Man ; 7. Improving Memory ; Further Reading & References

Read more less

Book SynopsisPerception and Idealism examines how perception makes objects manifest to us, and what the world must be like for objects to be manifest in that way. Howard Robinson argues for a version of sense-datum theory about perception and theistic phenomenalism about metaphysical reality.Trade ReviewRobinson's book is clearly and beautifully written, and argumentatively persuasive ... a refreshing blast of curative air breathed into the dank enclosures of Direct Realism, Disjunctivism and Reductive Representationalism. * David Pitt, California State University, Los Angeles *Robinson argues for a kind of idealism, providing well-organized, well-documented discussions of both early modern and recent philosophers' views on the nature of perception and its relationship to the world. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: How the World Manifests Itself to Us 1: The Causal Argument for Sense-Data, 'Philosophers' Hallucinations', and the Disjunctive Response 2: Naïve Realism and the Argument from Illusion 3: Intentionality and Perception (I): The Fundamental irrelevance of Intentionality to Phenomenal Consciousness 4: Intentionality and Perception (II): Attempts to Articulate the 'Content' and 'Object' Distinction 5: Singular Reference and its Relation to Intentionality 6: Objectivity: How is It Possible? 7: Semantic Direct Realism, Critical Realism, and the Sense-Datum Theory 8: Building the Manifest World Part II: What the World Is, in Itself 9: The Problematic Nature of the Modern Conception of Matter 10: Two Suggestive Berkeleyan Arguments 11: Bishop Berkeley and John Foster on Problems with Physical Realism about Space 12: Mentalist Alternatives to Berkeleyan Theism, and their Failure General Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisToni Rønnow-Rasmussen explores the distinction between what is finally good and what is finally good-for: he argues that these two value notions are equally important in ethics and practical deliberation. His analysis challenges the widespread idea that there are no genuine practical and moral dilemmas.Trade ReviewThis volume provides an engaging discussion of the distinction between relational and nonrelational goods, that is, being good for a subject rather than being good simpliciter. * W. Simkulet, CHOICE *Table of ContentsPart I: Elements 1: Value Taxonomy 2: Good and Good-For 3: Challenging Value Monism 4: Challenging Good Monism 5: Good-For Unitarianism Part II: A Fitting-Attitude Analysis of Value 6: Fitting-Attitude Analysis 7: The Logical Consequence of Fitting Attitudes 8: The Fitting-Attitude Analysis Revised 9: 'Sake' 10: FA and Motivating Reasons 11: Favourings for No Reason 12: Mind the Value Gap

Read more less

Book SynopsisMark Richard presents an original picture of meaning according to which a word''s meaning is analogous to the biological lineages we call species. His primary thesis is that a word''s meaning - in the sense of what one needs to track in order to be a competent speaker - is the collection of assumptions its users make in using it and expect their hearers to recognize as being made. Meaning is something that is spread across a population, inherited by each new generation of speakers from the last, and typically evolving in so far as what constitutes a meaning changes in virtue of the interactions of speakers with their (linguistic and social) environment. Meanings as Species develops and defends the analogy between the biological and the linguistic, and includes a discussion of the senses in which the processes of meaning change are and are not like evolution via natural selection. Richard argues that thinking of meanings as species supports Quine''s insights about analyticity without reTable of ContentsIntroduction 1: Quine and the Species Problem 2: Internalism to the Rescue? 3: What Are Meanings, that We Might Share Them? 4: Conceptual Evolution 5: Meaning, Thought, and its Ascription 6: Sex and Conversation Coda Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Life''s Values Alan H. Goldman seeks to explain what is of ultimate value in individual lives. The proposed candidates include pleasure, happiness, meaning, and well-being. Only the latter is the all-inclusive category of personal value, and it consists in the satisfaction of deep rational desires. Since individuals'' rational desires differ, the book cannot dictate what will maximize your own well-being and what in particular you ought to pursue. However it can tell you to make your desires rational (that is, informed and coherent) and it can also explain the nature of these states that typically enter into well-being: pleasure, happiness, and meaning being typically partial causes as well as effects of well-being. All are by-products of satisfying rational desires and rarely successfully aimed at directly. Pleasure comes in sensory, intentional, and pure feeling forms, each with an opposite in pain or distress. Happiness in its primary sense is an emotion, not a constant state as some philosophers assume, and in secondary senses a mood (disposition to have an emotion) or temperament (disposition to be in a mood). Meaning in life is a matter of events in one''s life fitting into intelligible narratives. Events in narratives are understood teleologically as well as causally, in terms of outcomes aimed at as well antecedent events. So, in the briefest terms, this book distinguishes and relates pleasure, happiness, well-being, and meaning, and relates each to motivation and value.Trade Reviewa wonderful book ... This book is a valuable handbook for any lay person who wants to find a meaning in his/her life, and has not found the clue for how to pursue it elsewhere. It is also a useful tool for students and scholars especially in philosophy and psychology. I believe it will be a very useful tool for classroom discussions from any introductory course in psychology and philosophy to ethics, metaphysics, psychological, and philosophical counseling. * Kamuran Elbeyoglu, Metapsychology Online Reviews *Alan Goldman's book is an important contribution to the philosophical literature on the topics listed in the subtitle. It is carefully written and argumentatively rich, and I highly recommend it. * Steward Goetz, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Pleasure 2: Happiness 3: Well-Being 4: The Meaning of Life 5: Conclusions Appendix: Desire

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe continuities between human and animal minds are increasingly well understood. This has led many people to make claims about consciousness in animals, which has often been taken to be crucial for their moral standing. Peter Carruthers argues compellingly that there is no fact of the matter to be discovered, and that the question of animal consciousness is of no scientific or ethical significance. Carruthers offers solutions to two related puzzles. The first is about the place of phenomenal--or felt--consciousness in the natural order. Consciousness is shown to comprise fine-grained nonconceptual contents that are globally broadcast to a wide range of cognitive systems for reasoning, decision-making, and verbal report. Moreover, the so-called hard problem of consciousness results merely from the distinctive first-person concepts we can use when thinking about such contents. No special non-physical properties--no so-called qualia--are involved. The second puzzle concerns the distribution of phenomenal consciousness across the animal kingdom. Carruthers shows that there is actually no fact of the matter, because thoughts about consciousness in other creatures require us to project our first-person concepts into their minds; but such projections fail to result in determinate truth-conditions when those minds are significantly unlike our own. This upshot, however, doesn''t matter. It doesn''t matter for science, because no additional property enters the world as one transitions from creatures that are definitely incapable of phenomenal consciousness to those that definitely are (namely, ourselves). And on many views it doesn''t matter for ethics, either, since concern for animals can be grounded in sympathy, which requires only third-person understanding of the desires and emotions of the animals in question, rather than in first-person empathy.Trade ReviewIn this well-argued and engaging book, Peter Carruthers makes a comprehensive case for a first-order global workspace theory of phenomenal consciousness, and then considers the upshot for animals: are they phenomenally conscious, and does it matter morally? Answer: there is no fact of the matter about whether animals are phenomenally conscious, but this doesn't change anything morally, because consciousness is not what matters morally. ... Conclusion: this is a great book, written with Carruthers' characteristic insight, lucidity, and open-mindedness. Everyone should read it. * Jonathan Simon, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Peter Carruthers stands out among philosophers for having previously argued that most animals lack conscious experiences. He returns to the question of non-human consciousness in Human and Animal Minds with another striking view. Where he once proposed that the capacity for higher-order thoughts is essential to phenomenal consciousness and restricted to a small number of species, he now regards its significance as indeterminate. He infers that for many species, there is no fact of the matter either way. * Derek Shiller, Philosophical Quarterly *Table of Contents1: Important preliminaries 2: Animal minds: The state of the art 3: The need for a theory 4: Some initial possibilities 5: Global-workspace theory 6: Explaining the "hard" problem 7: Animal consciousness: No fact of the matter 8: Does consciousness matter?

Read more less

Book SynopsisJ.S. Mill famously equated physical things with permanent possibilities of sensation. This view, known as phenomenalism, holds that a rock is a tendency for experiences to occur as they do when people perceive a rock, and similarly for all other physical things. In Phenomenalism, Michael Pelczar develops Mill''s theory in detail, defends it against the objections responsible for its current unpopularity, and uses it to shed light on important questions in metaphysics, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of mind. Identifying physical things with possibilities of sensation establishes a transparent connection between the world of physics and the world of sense, provides an attractive alternative to currently fashionable structuralist and panpsychist metaphysics, offers a fresh perspective on the problem of consciousness, and yields a satisfying theory of perception, all by taking two things notoriously resistant to reduction, chance and experience, and constructing everything eTrade ReviewThe text is clearly written, elegant in its presentation, and effectively implements all the tools of the analytic philosopher. * Choice *Table of Contents1: The World as Hypertext 2: Mill's Metaphysics 3: A Signal in the Noise 4: Possibilities for What? 5: What Kind of Possibility? 6: A Revealing Correspondence 7: Phenomenalism and Science 8: Phenomenalism and Consciousness 9: A Phenomenalist Theory of Perception 10: Choose Your Own Adventure Appendix: Defining Spacetime Relations

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this volume, Carolina Sartorio makes the case for big-picture causalism: a naturalistic conception of agency and free agency that unifies the two phenomena under a common thesis. This is the thesis that actions/free actions are behaviors that have the right kinds of causes or explanations. The book discusses how a causalist view of action and free action fit together--the latter as a natural extension of the former--and how they are motivated by similar considerations having to do with causal control. The result is a compelling package deal view of our practical agency, one that is put forth as the default view (the view that deserves to be regarded as the starting point of our theorizing). Sartorio examines both the skeleton of the causalist view as well as potential enrichments that result from exploiting the grounds of the relevant causal facts. The discussion is enriched by an account of the role played in causalism by key metaphysical notions such as causation, grounding, absences, and powers.Table of Contents1: Three Causalisms 2: Motivations 3: Causalism under the Microscope 4: Reasons and their Absences 5: Enriched Causalism 6: Causalism under Indeterminism 7: Conclusions References

Read more less

Book SynopsisA barrier to entailment exists if you can''t get conclusions of a certain kind from premises of another. One of the most famous barriers in philosophy is Hume''s Law, which says that you can''t get normative conclusions from descriptive premises, or in slogan form: you can''t get an ought from an is. This barrier is highly controversial, and many famous counterexamples were proposed in the last century. But there are other barriers which function almost as philosophical platitudes: no Universal conclusions from Particular premises, no Future conclusions from premises about the Past, and no claims that attribute Necessity from premises that merely tell us how things happen to be in the Actual world. Barriers to Entailment proposes a unified logical account of five barriers that have played important roles in philosophy, in the process showing how to diagnose proposed counterexamples and arguing that the case for Hume''s Law is as strong as that for the platitudinous barriers. The first

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Importance of Being Rational systematically defends a novel reasons-based account of rationality. The book''s central thesis is that what it is for one to be rational is to correctly respond to the normative reasons one possesses. Errol Lord defends novel views about what it is to possess reasons and what it is to correctly respond to reasons. He shows that these views not only help to support the book''s main thesis, they also help to resolve several important problems that are independent of rationality. The account of possession provides novel contributions to debates about what determines what we ought to do, and the account of correctly responding to reasons provides novel contributions to debates about causal theories of reacting for reasons.After defending views about possession and correctly responding, Lord shows that the account of rationality can solve two difficult problems about rationality. The first is the New Evil Demon problem. The book argues that the account has the resources to show that internal duplicates necessarily have the same rational status. The second problem concerns the deontic significance of rationality. Recently it has been doubted whether we ought to be rational. The ultimate conclusion of the book is that the requirements of rationality are the requirements that we ultimately ought to comply with. If this is right, then rationality is of fundamental importance to our deliberative lives.Trade ReviewErrol Lord's The Importance of Being Rational is a tour de force treatment of the relationship between reasons, rationality, knowledge, and what Lord calls creditworthiness, the kind of achievement where you don't just do what is right, but do it for the right reasons. * Mark Schroeder, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research *a beautiful presentation of how one might defend a reasons-first approach to rationality. And it has many insights that will be useful to non-reasons-firsters as well. As such, there's a great deal in the details of Lord's arguments that repays careful consideration. * Karl Schafer, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research *The Importance of Being Rational marks a new moment in debates about the nature of rationality. It is absolutely compulsory reading for epistemologists, ethicists, and meta-ethicists alike. * Nathan Robert Howard, Ethics *rich, ambitious, and thought-provoking * Olle Risberg, European Journal of Philosophy *an essential reading in the literature on reasons. * Julia Staffel, The Philosophical Review *an admirable philosophical feat that rewards careful study. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the nature, and worth, of rationality. * Carlos Núñez, The Philosophical Quarterly *an informed, original, rich, sophisticated and exceptionally well-illustrated case for the claim that what we are rationally required to do and what we substantially ought to do is really the same thing. To follow Errol Lord on his route to this conclusion is a frequently rewarding experience and one that is well worth undertaking. * Hallvard Lillehammer, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsPart I: Initial Motivations 1: Introduction 2: The Coherent and the Rational Part II: Possessing Reasons 3: Possession: The Epistemic Condition 4: Possession: The Practical Condition Part III: Correctly Responding to Reasons 5: Correctly Responding to Reasons 6: Achievements and Intelligibility Part IV: Two Problems Solved 7: Defeating the Externalist's Demons 8: What you're Rationally Required to Do and What you Ought to Do

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis accessible and lively introduction considers the main problems and debates in contemporary philosophy of mind. The central theme of the book is that intentionality, or the mind''s direction upon its objects - sometimes described as the mind''s power to represent or be ''about'' things - is the essential feature of all mental phenomena. Crane engages in a subsidiary theme, the mind-body problem, asking to what extent a physicalist reductive account of mental phenomena is possible, or even necessary. Proposing an original and unified theory of all the phenomena of mind, Crane opposes those currently popular conceptions of the mind which divide mental phenomena into two very different kinds, the intentional and the qualitative. In the light of his theory, Crane gives an account of the main problems of the philosophy of mind: the mind-body problem, the problem of intentionality (or mental representation), the problem of consciousness, and the problem of perception. He also attempts toTrade Review'... an immensely well-informed an up-to-date discussion... Replete with controversial and original insights, it is sure to stimulate the interest of students and specialists alike.' THESTable of Contents1. Mind ; 2. Body ; 3. Consciousness ; 4. Thought ; 5. Perception ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read on Oxford Academic and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.This is a broad and authoritative study of one of the central topics in the study of the mind: the origins of concepts. The authors survey the debate between rationalists and empiricists which stretches back to the very beginnings of philosophy, and has been at the centre of some of the most exciting research in cognitive science. Many have charged that the debate is riddled with confusion or that rationalist approaches, in particular, are deeply problematic. The Building Blocks of Thought offers a comprehensive rethinking of the foundations of this debate, showing that these negative appraisals are based on misunderstandings. Stephen Laurence and Eric Margolis argue that the debate should be understood to concern the nature of the unlearned psychological traits that provid

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is Marshall McLuhan''s last book, written in collaboration with his longtime friend, Bruce Powers. It updates McLuhan''s landmark study, Understanding Media, which was published 25 years ago.^l^l The premise is the distinction between what McLuhan and Powers call Visual Space - or the left-brain, linear, quantitative reasoning tradition of the West beginning with Plato and Aristotle - as against what they call Acoustic Space - right-brain, qualitative, pattern-producing reasoning, the holistic approach of the East. They argue that with the advent of the global village - as a result of electronic communications - these two mind sets are slamming into each other at the speed of light. In their words, In the last half of the 20th century the East will rush westward and the West will embrace orientalism, all in a desperate attempt to cope with each other, to avoid violence. But the key to peace is to understand both these systems simultaneously.Trade Review'The Global Village is studded with the controversial genius, insight and originality for which McLuhan was famous.' Telecommunications Policy`Thank you, Professor Powers, for bringing McLuhanian thinking back into the light and for bringing it up to date.' Futures

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis first extensive study of Spinoza''s philosophy of mind concentrates on two problems crucial to the philosopher''s thoughts on the matter: the requirements for having a thought about a particular object, and the problem of the mind''s relation to the body. Della Rocca contends that Spinoza''s positions are systematically connected with each other and with a principle at the heart of his metaphysical system: his denial of causal or explanatory relations between the mental and the physical. In this way, Della Rocca''s exploration of these two problems provides a new and illuminating perspective on Spinoza''s philosophy as a system.Trade Reviewexhibits ... analytic rigour and clarity of expression ... offers some original and compelling interpretations of important elements of Spinoza's theory of mind. * Tad M. Schmaltz,Mind, Vol. 109, No.435, July 2000. *The considerable strengths of his discussion in this book provide reason for those interested in this area of Spinoza's thought to track this further development. * Tad M. Schmaltz,Mind, Vol. 109, No.435, July 2000. *"A very rigorous, sophisticated and subtle treatment of central issues in Spinoza's philosophy of mind and knowledge....Della Rocca puts forward interpretations which are likely to be the subject of discussion among Spinoza for some years to come. In general, Della Rocca shows himself to be an original, subtle, and often brilliant expositor of Spinoza."--Nicholas Jolley, University of California, San Diego"It will be a classic--'must' reading for Spinoza scholars, historians of philosophy in general, advanced students of the history of philosophy, and anyone interested in early modern cognitive psychology. It is one of the most exciting works in the history of philosophy that I have read in a long time....It deserves the widest possible readership."--Don Garrett, University of Utah

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book offers a provocative interpretation of the theory of the soul in the writings of the French Cartesian, Nicolas Malebranche (1638-1715). Though recent work on Malebranche''s philosophy of mind has tended to emphasize his account of ideas, Schmaltz focuses rather on his rejection of Descartes'' doctrine that the mind is better known than the body. In particular, he considers and defends Malebranche''s argument that this rejection has a Cartesian basis. Schmaltz reveals that this argument not only provides a fresh perspective on Cartesianism but also is relevant to current debates in the philosophy of mind.Trade Review"Schmaltz's book...comes as a welcome addition to the Malebranche literature; that he has given us such a well-researched and carefully argued study is even more welcome....this is an excellent book....Schmaltz has given us an excellently researched and carefully analyzed account of an important aspect of the thought of one of the leading philosophers of the seventeenth century."--The Philosophical Review"A very fine piece of scholarship, and displays real philosophical acumen as well....An original and stimulating discussion....It makes a solid and important contribution to early modern scholarship."--Steven Nadler, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Read more less

Book SynopsisScientific realism has been advanced as an interpretation of the natural sciences but never the behavioural sciences. This exciting book introduces a novel version of scientific realism--Measured Realism--that characterizes the kind of theoretical progress in the social and psychological sciences that is uneven but indisputable. Trout proposes a theory of measurement--Population-Guided Estimation--that connects natural, psychological, and social scientific inquiry. Presenting quantitative methods in the behavioural sciences as at once successful and regulated by the world, Measuring the Intentional World will engage philosophers of science, historians of science, sociologists of science, and scientists interested in the foundations of their own disciplines.Trade ReviewThere is much of value in Trout's book. The careful sorting out of often confused realist claims is welcome. His recognition that the social sciences sometimes have measurement and testing procedures akin to those of the natural sciences is also a welcome antidote to the long tradition of arguing about their scientific status without looking at what they actually do. Trout's claim that assessments of realism issues require carefully looking at specific theories seems to me particularly valuable. * Philosophical Review *This is an interesting, complex, and important book. Indeed, it may well be the most important book in the philosophy of the social sciences since Rosenberg's Sociobiology and the Preemption of Social Science (1980). In addition to developing an original and intriguing naturalistic account of psychology and the social sciences, Trout offers the reader a most nuanced analysis of various forms of scientific realism, as well as a well-developed version of naturalistic epistemology. * Teaching Philosophy *A radical book, and essential reading for courses in philosophy of science, statistics, and research methods. * Choice *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this book, Scott Soames illuminates the notion of truth and the role it plays in our ordinary thought, as well as in our logical, philosophical, and scientific theories. The main questions investigated include Why do we need a truth predicate at all?, What theoretical tasks does it allow us to accomplish?, and How must we understand the content of any predicate capable of accomplishing these tasks?. The main aim of the book is to integrate and extend the most important insight on truth from a variety of sources.Trade ReviewSoames's introduction to partially defined predicates is exemplary, one that presupposes virtually no background in logic or maths. ... Soames's interpretation of Kripke's 'truth value gaps' in terms of partially defined predicates ... is arguably the best available interpretation on the market; and Soames's discussion of this interpretation, like his other discussions, is a paradigm of clarity. For these reasons alone the book is well worth reading. * Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol.79, no.2 *While there are many introductions to Kripke's theory of truth there are none that rival Soames's presentation ... Soames's presentation of the theory is not only clear, careful, and rigorous, but is likewise, and atypically user-friendly. * Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol.79, no.2 *One ... feature is the sheer clarity of the writing and the care with which arguments are given and discussed. In this way the book serves as an example of how to write philosophy; and this is no snall accomplishment, especially in the face of its frequent absence in contemporary philosophical books. * Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol.79, no.2 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this book, Stich unravels - or deconstructs - the doctrine called eliminativism. Eliminativism claims that beliefs, desires, and many other mental states we use to describe the mind do not exist, but are fictional posits of a badly mistaken theory of folk psychology. Stich makes a U-turn in his book, opening up new and controversial positions.Trade ReviewStich's argument, presented in the first chapter, will surely become a classic essay in the study of mind....Surely ought not to be missed. * Choice *Table of Contents1.: Deconstructing the Mind 2.: with William Ramsey and Joseph Garon: Connectionism, Eliminativism, and the Future of Folk Psychology 3.: with Ian Ravenscroft: What Is Fold Psychology? 4.: with Shaun Nichols: How Do Minds Understand Minds? Mental Simulation versus Tacit Theory 5.: with Stephen Laurence: Intentionality and Naturalism 6.: Naturalism, Positivism, and Pluralism References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this book, Roy Sorensen presents the first general theory of the thought experiment. He analyses a wide variety of thought experiments, ranging from aesthetics to zoology, and explores what thought experiments are, how they work, and what their positive and negative aspects are. Sorensen also sets his theory within an evolutionary framework and integrates recent advances in experimental psychology and the history of science.Trade Reviewstimulating ... written in a vivid jaunty style ... The array of philosophical positions and teh many examples are presented with such clarity and freshness ... that this book can be recommended both as an unusual but engaging introduction to philosophy and as a sensitive analysis and defence of the cognitive power of thought experiments. * Times Higher Education Supplement *simply and clearly written, and virtually all of it is instructive and enjoyable to read. * George Schlesinger, University of North Carolina *Roy A. Sorensen's book is a useful collection of reflections on the definition and logic of thought experiments. It contains some splendid examples ... There are painstaking lists of respects in which thought experiments are, and are not, like ordinary experiments. * Simon Blackburn, Times Literary Supplement *Roy Sorensen's aim in his stimulating book is to demystify and defend the place of thought experiments in both science and philosophy ... This book is written in a vivid, jaunty style ... There is sustained argument, but also rapid movement from one case to another. The array of philosophical positions and the many examples are presented with such clarity and freshness, however, that this book can be recommended both as an unusual but engaging introduction to philosophy and as a sensitive analysis and defence of the cognitive power of thought experiments. * Times Higher Education Supplement *The book is tightly reasoned, and written in an engaging, often jocular style, Sorensen advances and defends his model in the manner of someone sincerely and pragmatically seeking comprehension, and is never didactic or ponderous. * James W. McAllister, University of Leiden, Mind, Vol. 102, No. 408, Oct '93 *The first full-scale treatment of thought experiments ... The book is clearly written and largely nontechnical. It bears on the nature of theorizing in general, owing to its careful treatment of a wide range of cases of theoretical activity. Recommended for all libraries. * Choice *[An] important new book ... Sorensen articulates what is sure to become one of the central views about thought experiments, but he also provides an excellent introduction to this wonderful subject. The topic has rather suddenly become a growth industry. Besides its other virtues, Roy Sorensen's Thought Experiments also offers a very good leg in. * Canadian Journal of Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Our Most Curious Device ; 2. Scepticism About Thought Experiments ; 3. Mach and Inner Cognitive Africa ; 4. The Wonder of Armchair Inquiry ; 5. Kuhntradictions ; 6. The Logical Structure of Thought Experiment ; 7. Conflict Vagueness and Precisification ; 8. The Evolution of Thought Experiment ; 9. Are Thought Experiments? ; 10. Fallacies and Antifallacies ; Notes ; Select Bibliography ; Subject Index ; Name Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisMost philosophers writing about personal identity in recent years claim that what it takes for us to persist through time is a matter of psychology. In this groundbreaking new book, Eric Olson argues that such approaches face daunting problems, and he defends in their place a radically non-psychological account of personal identity. He defines human beings as biological organisms, and claims that no psychological relation is either sufficient or necessary for an organism to persist. Rejecting several famous thought experiments dealing with personal identity, he instead argues that one could survive the destruction of all of one''s psychological contents and capabilities as long as the human organism remains alive.Trade ReviewA very clear and powerfully argued defence of a most important and surprisingly neglected view. * Derek Parfit, author of Reasons and Persons (All Souls College, Oxford) *For hundreds of years, almost all philosophers writing on the topic have supposed that personal identity is either entirely a matter of psychology or at least has an important and essential psychological component. This important book presents a powerful challenge to that assumption. If Dr. Olson is right, we are living animals and what goes on in our minds is wholly irrelevant to questions about our persistence through time. If this book receives the attention it deserves, it will transform philosophical thinking about personal identity. * Peter van Inwagen, author of An Essay on Free Will, Material Beings, and Metaphysics (University of Notre Dame) *Olson's excellent and enjoyable book should be read by everyone with an interest in metaphysics. For those seriously interested in the philosophy of personal identity, or in our existence and identity, the matter is more serious; without much delay, you've got to get your hands on The Human Animal * Peter Unger, New York University *A significant contribution to the field. It issues several important challenges to proponents of a psychological approach to personal identity. * Carol Rovane, Yale University *Olson develops his main argument with a masterly touch. It is particularly refreshing to read a discussion of personal identity which is metaphysically serious. He has produced in me a deepened sense of the virtues of animalism, and I expect his book to do so in anyone who reads it. * Times Literary Supplement *The book as a whole is admirably succinct, clear, and forcefully argued, and is a fresh and enjoyable read. * IMind *This is the most original piece of writing on these matters that I have read in several years. I recommend it highly. * Philosophical Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPeople are minded creatures; we have thoughts, feelings and emotions. More intriguingly, we grasp our own mental states, and conduct the business of ascribing them to ourselves and others without instruction in formal psychology. How do we do this? And what are the dimensions of our grasp of the mental realm? In this book, Alvin I. Goldman explores these questions with the tools of philosophy, developmental psychology, social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. He refines an approach called simulation theory, which starts from the familiar idea that we understand others by putting ourselves in their mental shoes. Can this intuitive idea be rendered precise in a philosophically respectable manner, without allowing simulation to collapse into theorizing? Given a suitable definition, do empirical results support the notion that minds literally create (or attempt to create) surrogates of other peoples mental states in the process of mindreading? Goldman amasses a surprising array of eviTrade ReviewStimulating Minds is a masterful defense of an important theory of mindreading, and landmark contribution to the philosophy of mind. It deserves a wide audience. * Philip Robbins MIND *an ambitious and thought-provoking contribution from a philosopher to the interdisciplinary field of social cognition... It promises to influence future research in the domain * Nivedita Gangopadhyay, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis title argues that our conception of consciousness is based upon fundamental errors. It discusses three important philosophical puzzles, each of which presents the same problem. In highlighting this, the errors in our conception of consciousness and cognition are also revealed.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat, if anything do dreams tell us about ourselves? What is the relationship between types of sleep and types of dreams? Does dreaming serve any purpose? Or are dreams simply meaningless mental noise--''unmusical fingers wandering over the piano keys''?With expertise in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience, Owen Flanagan is uniquely qualified to answer those questions. And in Dreaming Souls he provides both an accessible survey of the latest research on sleep and dreams and a compelling new theory about the nature and function of dreaming. Flanagan argues that while sleep has a clear biological function and adaptive value, dreams are merely side effects, ''free-riders'', irrelevant from an evolutionary point of view. But dreams are hardly unimportant. Indeed, Flanagan argues that dreams are self-expressive, the result of our need to find or create meaning, even when we are sleeping. Rejecting Freud''s theory of manifest and latent content--of repressed wishes appearing in disguiseTrade Review"Flanagan's Dreaming Souls is, quite simply, a masterpiece: learned, lively, and surpassingly smart. Owen's voice in this book is so honest, direct, lovable and funny, it kept reminding me of Frank McCourt. And yet it IS neurophilosophy. It is about the whys and wherefores of our dreaming brains."--Patricia S. Churchland, Presidential Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego, author of Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain "Owen Flanagan does it again. He takes one of the most fascinating and elusive topics in mind/brain research, the 'why' of dreams, and ropes it into a coherent notion that one and all can understand. I won't spoil it for you and tell you his intriguing idea. But I will tell you, I think he is on to something big."--Michael S. Gazzaniga, Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, author of Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind and The Mind's Past "Are dreams just the noise that the brain makes during sleep? Flanagan makes us take this question seriously as he builds dream consciousness into his new brain-based philosophy of mind."--J. Allan, Director of Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Harvard Medical School and author of Sleep, The Dreaming Brain, and most recently Consciousness "How important to have a philosopher dedicate himself to the basic questions of human psychology. Owen Flanagan challenges and synthesizes contemporary theories of mind to arrive at a provocative understanding of the relationship of dream and dreamer."--Peter D. Kramer, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, author of Listening to Prozac and Should You Leave? "An informative review of current research on sleep and dreams and a new theory about the nature and function of dreaming, presented with clarity, wit, and finesse.... Science writing at its best."--Kirkus Reviews "Excellent book to start off a science-oriented philosophy of mind...course. The style and content are engaging, and Flanagan provides an excellent introduction to the philosophical issues surrounding mind/brain research."--Ilya Farber, George Washington University "[An] intriguing book....Flanagan has developed an original, plausible, and empirically grounded account of the activity of dreaming. He has demonstrated...successfully, that his account is superior to the depth psychological and somatic noise alternatives. And he has done so in the form of an engaging, accessible, and often amusing book."--The American Journal of Psychology "Flanagan's Dreaming Souls is, quite simply, a masterpiece: learned, lively, and surpassingly smart. Owen's voice in this book is so honest, direct, lovable and funny, it kept reminding me of Frank McCourt. And yet it IS neurophilosophy. It is about the whys and wherefores of our dreaming brains."--Patricia S. Churchland, Presidential Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego, author of Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain "Owen Flanagan does it again. He takes one of the most fascinating and elusive topics in mind/brain research, the 'why' of dreams, and ropes it into a coherent notion that one and all can understand. I won't spoil it for you and tell you his intriguing idea. But I will tell you, I think he is on to something big."--Michael S. Gazzaniga, Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, author of Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind and The Mind's Past "Are dreams just the noise that the brain makes during sleep? Flanagan makes us take this question seriously as he builds dream consciousness into his new brain-based philosophy of mind."--J. Allan, Director of Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Harvard Medical School and author of Sleep, The Dreaming Brain, and most recently Consciousness "How important to have a philosopher dedicate himself to the basic questions of human psychology. Owen Flanagan challenges and synthesizes contemporary theories of mind to arrive at a provocative understanding of the relationship of dream and dreamer."--Peter D. Kramer, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, author of Listening to Prozac and Should You Leave? "An informative review of current research on sleep and dreams and a new theory about the nature and function of dreaming, presented with clarity, wit, and finesse.... Science writing at its best."--Kirkus Reviews "In his fascinating new book, Dreaming Souls, Flanagan submits that, while sleep is certainly an evolutionary adaptation, and consciousness probably is, too, consciousness during sleep is merely a by-product of the two."--Jim Holt, Lingua Franca "Flanagan's writing is conversational--gracious, humorous, and intelligent. He examines objections to theories without being demeaning or condescending...a thought-provoking and entertaining read."--Choice "In contrast to Jouvet, Hobson and Winson, the American philosopher Owen Flanagan thinks that both sleep and consciousness are products of evolution, but consciousness during sleep (dreaming) is merely an accident of nature, a side effect of the two. Both consciousness and sleep have a clear biological function, but dreams don't. During sleep, the brain stocks up neurotransmitters that will be used the next day. By accident, pulses that originate from this stockpiling chore (coming from the brain stem) also reactivate more or less random parts of memory. Unaware that the body is actually sleeping, the sensory circuits of the cerebral cortex process these signals as if they were coming from outside and produce a chaotic flow of sensations. Thus we dream. Dreams are just the noise the brain makes while working overnight. If Flanagan is correct, dreams are meaningless and pointless." -- Piero Scaruffi, Thymos.comTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue: "To Sleep: Perchance to Dream" 1: Heart Throbs 2: The Dreaming Mind 3: Sleepy Heads 4: Dreams: The Spandrels of Sleep 5: Self-Expression in Dreams 6: Philosophical Perplexities Epilogue: Here Comes the Sun Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Last Word, Thomas Nagel, a leading philosopher and Professor of Law, presents a sustained defense of reason against the attacks of subjectivism, delivering systematic rebuttals against its many relativistic claims in the fields of language, logic, ethics, and science. He proposes that reason reflects objective principles whose validity is independent of different points of view, and continues to argue that reason is universal because its only prerequisite is the ability to think systematically and with intelligence. Dismissing relativism as theoretical chic and inconsequential intellectual flourish, he predicts its ultimate stultifying effect on public discourse. The Last Word is a vigorous defense of reason and its universal narratives. Resisting what he describes as the eventual demise of intellectual discourse, Nagel''s work sets a new standard in the debate: this book presents the clarity and simplicity of objective reason.Nagel''s construction of a coherent framework beyondTrade ReviewReview from previous edition "Nagel's book is a ringing defense of the rationalist conception of reason, and an uncompromising attack on the subjectivist conception...The case that Nagel presents in these chapters should disturb all those who have been lulled, or bludgeoned, into the flabby relativism that is so rampant in contemporary intellectual culture..Nagel's argument is not only correct, it is also urgent...The Last Word is a book that should be read and pondered in this golden age of relativism." * Colin McGinn, The New Republic *"Thomas Nagel stands out among today's best philosophers in retaining closer links with big puzzles and mysteries that first attract most people to philosophy. He has a livelier sense of their depth and power than is conspicuous elsewhere in the academic study of philosophy, and admirably resists the widespread tendency to dent a thing's existence because it is difficult or perhaps impossible to understand." * The Times Literary Supplement *"...(Nagel's) book, which is concise, spare, and well-argued, will prolong discussion by setting it on a new path...what he has to say is challenging, impressive, and thought-provoking." * International Philosophical Quarterly *"...now comes Professor Nagel's fascinating, even brilliant, book..." * Commonweal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSpanning 24 centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and literary figures, and modern psychologists. Truly interdisciplinary, it is the first such anthology. As it traces Western attitudes, it reveals a conversation across centuries and continents as the authors interpret, respond, and build on each other''s work. Editor Jennifer Radden provides an extensive, in-depth introduction that draws links and parallels between the selections, and reveals the ambiguous relationship between these historical accounts of melancholy and today''s psychiatric views on depression. This important new collection is also beautifully illustrated with depictions of melancholy from Western fine art.Trade ReviewRadden's invaluable anthology ... scrupulously presents the key texts ... does an excellent job of tracing the history of efforts to find a language capable of sheltering humanity from that storm [in the mind]. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsPART 1: ARISTOTLE TO FREUD; PART 2: AFTER FREUD

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat is an Emotion?, 2/e, draws together important selections from classical and contemporary theories and debates about emotion. Utilizing sources from a variety of subject areas including philosophy, psychology, and biology, editor Robert Solomon provides an illuminating look at the affective side of psychology and philosophy from the perspective of the world''s great thinkers. Part One of the book features five classic readings from Aristotle, the Stoics, Descartes, Spinoza, and Hume. Part Two offers classic and contemporary theories from the social sciences, presenting selections from such thinkers as Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud alongside recent work from Paul Ekman, Catherine Lutz, and others. Part Three presents some of the extensive work on emotion that developed in Europe over the past century. Part Four includes essays representing the discussion of emotions among British and American analytic philosophers. The volume is enhanced by a comprehensive introduction by the editor and a multidisciplinary bibliography. What is an Emotion? is appropriate for any course in which the nature of emotion plays a major role, including philosophy of emotion, philosophy of mind, history of psychology, emotion and motivation, moral psychology, and history and psychology of consciousness courses. The second edition provides much more material on emotions in the sciences and more from recent philosophical theories, encompassing recent shifts in theorizing on three fronts: the wealth of new information on the central nervous system and the brain; new developments in cross-cultural research and anthropology; and the recent emphasis on cognition in emotion, both in philosophy and the social sciences. New selections include work by Antonio Damasio, Ronald De Sousa, Paul Ekman, Nico Frijda, Patricia Greenspan, Paul Griffiths, Richard Lazarus, Catherine Lutz, Martha Nussbaum, and Michael Stocker.Trade Review"An excellent addition to a course in History of Psychology. This volume's thematic consistency lets students see the changes that have occurred in psychological thought over the centuries."--Michael Nielsen, Georgia Southern UniversityTable of ContentsI. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND; ARISTOTLE; THE STOICS; RENE DESCARTES; BENEDICT SPINOZA; DAVID HUME; II. THE MEETING OF PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY; CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN; WILLIAM JAMES; WALTER B. CANNON; JOHN DEWEY; SIGMUND FREUD; STANLEY SCHACHTER AND JEROME E. SINGER; PAUL EKMAN; RICHARD LAZARUS; NICO FRIJDA; CATHERINE LUTZ; ANTONIO DAMASIO; III. THE CONTINENTAL TRADITION; FRANZ BRENTANO; MAX SCHELER; MARTIN HEIDEGGER; JEAN-PAUL SARTRE; IV. CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS AND EMOTION; GILBERT RYLE; ERROL BEDFORD; ANTHONY KENNY; ROBERT C. SOLOMON; CHESHIRE CALHOUN; RONALD DE SOUSA; MICHAEL STOCKER; PATRICIA GREENSPAN; PAUL GRIFFITHS

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the time of Locke, discussions of personal identity have often ignored the question of our basic metaphysical nature: whether we human people are biological organisms, spatial or temporal parts of organisms, bundles of perceptions, or what have you. The result of this neglect has been centuries of wild proposals and clashing intuitions.What Are We? is the first general study of this important question. It beings by explaining what the question means and how it differs from others, such as questions of personal identity and the mind-body problem. It then examines in some depth the main possible accounts of our metaphysical nature, detailing both their theoretical virtues and the often grave difficulties they face.The book does not endorse any particular account of what we are, but argues that the matter turns on more general issues in the ontology of material things. If composition is universal--if any material things whatever make up something bigger--then we are temporal parts of organisms. If things never compose anything bigger, so that there are only mereological simples, then we too are simples--perhaps the immaterial substances of Descartes--or else we do not exist at all (a view Olson takes very seriously). The intermediate view that some things compose bigger things and others do not leads almost inevitably to the conclusion that we are organisms. So we can discover what we are by working out when composition occurs.Trade ReviewIn this invigorating new book, Eric Olsen investigates what we are, metaphysically speaking...The book is engagingly written in a conversational style...filled with many stimulating arguments. * Lynne Rudder Baker MIND *For anyone who wants to understand the question "What are we?"- and who wants to see how to begin to answer that question in a principled way- there is no better guide than Olson's book. * Trenton Merricks, Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. The Question; 2. Animals; 3. Constitution; 4. Brains; 5. Temporal Parts; 6. Bundles; 7. Souls; 8. Nihilism; 9. What Now?

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom Robocop to the Terminator to Eve 8, no image better captures our deepest fears about technology than the cyborg, the person who is both flesh and metal, brain and electronics. But philosopher and cognitive scientist Andy Clark sees it differently. Cyborgs, he writes, are not something to be feared-we already are cyborgs.In Natural-Born Cyborgs, Clark argues that what makes humans so different from other species is our capacity to fully incorporate tools and supporting cultural practices into our existence. Technology as simple as writing on a sketchpad, as familiar as Google or a cellular phone, and as potentially revolutionary as mind-extending neural implants-all exploit our brains'' astonishingly plastic nature. Our minds are primed to seek out and incorporate non-biological resources, so that we actually think and feel through our best technologies. Drawing on his expertise in cognitive science, Clark demonstrates that our sense of self and of physical presence can be expanded to a remarkable extent, placing the long-existing telephone and the emerging technology of telepresence on the same continuum. He explores ways in which we have adapted our lives to make use of technology (the measurement of time, for example, has wrought enormous changes in human existence), as well as ways in which increasingly fluid technologies can adapt to individual users during normal use. Bio-technological unions, Clark argues, are evolving with a speed never seen before in history. As we enter an age of wearable computers, sensory augmentation, wireless devices, intelligent environments, thought-controlled prosthetics, and rapid-fire information search and retrieval, the line between the user and her tools grows thinner day by day. This double whammy of plastic brains and increasingly responsive and well-fitted tools creates an unprecedented opportunity for ever-closer kinds of human-machine merger, he writes, arguing that such a merger is entirely natural.A stunning new look at the human brain and the human self, Natural Born Cyborgs reveals how our technology is indeed inseparable from who we are and how we think.Trade ReviewHighly interesting, provocative and easy to read.... Natural-Born Cyborgs is impressive and entertaining, giving the book a potentially wide audience that includes those interested in cognitive science, performance art and the philosophy of mind. * Nature *In this lively and provocative treatise, Clark declares that we are, in fact, 'human technology symbionts' or 'natural-born cyborgs,' always seeking ways to enhance our biological mental capacities through technology, an intriguing claim he supports with a brisk history of biotechnology mergers, which currently range from pacemakers to the way a pilot of a commercial airplane is but one component in an elaborate 'biotechnological problem-solving matrix.' * San Diego Union-Tribune *A book that is at once profound, ground breaking, and delightful reading. Clark, more than anybody, understands how human nature is shaped by the technology and culture through which it finds expression. Bravo! * Jerome Bruner, University Professor, New York University, and author of Making Stories *This is a marvelous book, one I intend to use and reuse. I want to teach a course using it. I want to tell my friends. The neatest part is that it is both fun and deep, a hard trick to pull off, but Clark managed wonderfully. He combines a broad array of insights and stories into a charming, yet profound, excursion into what it means to be human as more and more we rely upon * and may even be coupled toour technology. I read it in a day, but I know I will return to it often.Donald Norman, Professor of Computer Science, Northwestern University, and author of Emotional Design *Andy Clark has given us an exciting yet realistic vision of what lies ahead. If you've ever wondered what Cyborgs are really all about, this is where you will find your answers. * Kevin Warwick, Professor of Cybernetics, University of Reading, and author of I, Cyborg *Clark does an excellent job of explaining the increasing symbiosis between humans and the machines they create. * Dallas Morning News *Andy Clark's lucid book is itself one act in the larger Cognitive Drama that it so clearly portrays. We humans are already 'Cyborgs,' and have been for thousands of years, blissfully and profitably embedded in a culture-wide family of Powerful Cognitive Mechanisms, one of which is The Widely-Read Book * like this one! Read it, and see yourself as never before.Paul M. Churchland, past president of the American Philosophical Association, and author of The Engine of Reason, The Seat of the Soul *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe have all been victims of wrongdoing. Forgiving that wrongdoing is one of the staples of current pop psychology dogma; it is seen as a universal prescription for moral and mental health in the self-help and recovery section of bookstores. At the same time, personal vindictiveness as a rule is seen as irrational and immoral. In many ways, our thinking on these issues is deeply inconsistent; we value forgiveness yet at the same time now use victim-impact statements to argue for harsher penalties for criminals. Do we have a right to hate others for what they have done to us? The distinguished philosopher and law professor Jeffrie Murphy is a skeptic when it comes to our views on both emotions. In this short and accessible book, he proposes that vindictive emotions (anger, resentment, and the desire for revenge) actually deserve a more legitimate place in our emotional, social, and legal lives than we currently recognize, while forgiveness deserves to be more selectively granted. MurphyTrade Review"Getting Even is probably the best book to date on the costs and benefits of forgiveness."--First Things - the Journal of Religion and Public Life"Getting Even: Forgiveness and Its Limits is a well-written and accessible yet deepy serious examination of the costs of forgiveness and the dangers of cheap grace."--First Things - the Journal of Religion and Public Life"Jeffrie Murphy has written a wonderful and sensitive book on an almost forbidden topic, the topic of revenge. But it is also a book about forgiveness, and it is striking a judicious balance between these two that makes Murphy's book such a challenge and a success. Unlike the herd of authors writing on forgiveness, he suggests difficult objections and deep reasons for reservation. But neither does his book display real enthusiasm for revenge, although he gives it a good run and 'two cheers.' If the book ends up with a rather Christian account of forgiveness that will please many readers, Murphy takes them through some psychologically difficult but philosophically clear and very readable terrain to get there."--Robert C. Solomon, Quincy Lee Centennial Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor, The University of Texas at Austin"In a voice that is reasonable, incisively witty, finely tuned to human emotion, and wise, Murphy teaches us how to think about our most difficult moral dilemmas. When should we forgive? When might it be healthy to hold a grudge? We would all do well to think through these questions from both a personal and moral perspective with this thoughtful and fascinating meditation."--Sharon Lamb, Professor of Psychology, St. Michael's College, author of The Secret Lives of Girls and The Trouble with Blame"Jeffrie Murphy has been a distinctive voice in the discussion of how we should respond to wrongdoing (our own and others'): a humane, philosophically astute, morally sensitive and imaginative voice that reminds us of the merits as well as the dangers of such often deprecated responses as anger, resentment and a desire to 'get even', and that brings out the difficulty as well as the significance of such responses as forgiveness, mercy and repentance. Anyone who cares about how we should respond, whether morally or legally, to the wrongs and evils that we do to each other-that is to say, anyone who aspires to be either a moral agent or a citizen--will find stimulation and sustenance in this book."--R.A. Duff, University of Stirling, Scotland

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe idea that we are in some significant sense responsible for our emotions is an idea that Robert Solomon has developed for almost three decades. Here, in a single volume, he traces the development of this theory of emotions and elaborate it in detail. Two themes run through his work: the first presents a cognitive theory of emotions in which emotions are construed primarily as evaluative judgments. The second proposes an existentialist perspective in which he defends the idea that, as we are responsible for our emotions. Indeed, sometimes it even makes sense to say that we choose them. While the first claim has gained increasing currency in the literature, his claim about responsibility for emotions has continued to meet with considerable resistance and misinterpretation. The new emphasis on evolutionary biology and neurology has (mistakenly) reinforced the popular prejudice that emotions happen to us and are entirely beyond our control. This volume is also a kind of intellectual meTrade Review"The twelve essays by Robert C. Solomon that comprise Not Passion's Slave serve as a kind of intellectual memoir of their author, who has, for the last thirty years, been at the heart of a revival of philosophical interest in the emotions."--Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsNOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a collection of published and unpublished essays by distinguished philosopher Michael E. Bratman of Stanford University. They revolve around his influential theory, know as the planning theory of intention and agency. Bratman''s primary concern is with what he calls strong forms of human agency--including forms of human agency that are the target of our talk about self-determination, self-government, and autonomy. These essays are unified and cohesive in theme, and will be of interest to philosophers in ethics and metaphysics.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Foundations of the Mind, Jean Mandler presents a new theory of cognitive development in infancy, focusing on the processes through which perceptual information is transformed into concepts. Drawing on extensive research, Mandler explores preverbal conceptualisation and shows how it forms the basis for both thought and language. She also emphasises the importance of distinguishing automatic perceptual processes from attentive conceptualisation, and argues that these two kinds of learning follow different principles, so it is crucial to specify the processes required by a given task. Countering both strong nativist and empiricist views, Mandler provides a fresh and markedly different perspective on early cognitive development, painting a new picture of the abilities and accomplishments of infants and the development of the mind.Trade Review"Mandler's book offers a powerful new synthesis on the emergence of cognitive capacities in infancy and early childhood. It is a compelling and important treatment of the origins of higher level thought from a cognitive science perspective. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in cognition or cognitive development." -Frank C. Keil, Professor of Psychology and Linguistics, Yale University "The perceptual/conceptual debate about the origins of meaning in the human mind continues to rage in the cognitive sciences, a debate that Mandler confronts head on. A masterful overthrow of a number of entrenched Piagetian assumptions, this eloquently written book about the conceptual capacities of young infants and the roots of language and consciousness is backed by extensive, innovative experimental data." -Annette Karmiloff-Smith, Professor of Neurocognitive Development and Head of Neurocognitive Development Unit, Institute of Child Health, LondonTable of Contents1. How to Build a Baby ; 2. Piaget's Sensorimotor Infant ; 3. Kinds of Representation: Seeing and Thinking ; 4. Perceptual Meaning Analysis and Image-Schemas: The Infant as Interpreter ; 5. Some Image-Schemas and their Functions ; 6. Some Differences Between Percepts and Concepts: The Case of the Basic Level ; 7. Some Preverbal Concepts ; 8. Concepts as Induction Machines ; 9. Continuity in the Conceptual System: Acquisition, Breakdown, and Reorganization ; 10. Recall of the Past ; 11. Language Acquisition ; 12. Consciousness and Conclusions

Read more less

Book SynopsisExperimental philosophy is a new movement that seeks to return the discipline of philosophy to a focus on questions about how people actually think and feel. Departing from a long-standing tradition, experimental philosophers go out and conduct systematic experiments to reach a better understanding of people's ordinary intuitions about philosophically significant questions. Although the movement is only a few years old, it has already sparked an explosion of new research, challenging a number of cherished assumptions in both philosophy and cognitive science. The present volume provides an introduction to the major themes of work in experimental philosophy, bringing together some of the most influential articles in the field along with a collection of new papers that explore the theoretical significance of this new research.Trade Reviewan admirable introduction to the experimental philosophy movement * Richard Holton, Times Literary Supplement *This book is the first to package what is exciting and new about this movement; it collects the most important papers by the leading experimental philosophers...As such it is essential reading...This is an exciting read-it's not often that something so radical and new comes along in philosophy. * Finn Spicer The Philosophers' Magazine *Table of Contents1. An Experimental Philosophy Manifesto ; 2. Normativity and Epistemic Institutions ; 3. Semantics, Cross-Cultural Style ; 4. Identification, Situational Constraint, and Social Cognition: Studies in the Attribution of Moral Responsibility ; 5. Is Incompatibilism Intuitive? ; 6. Moral Responsibility and Determinism: The Cognitive Science of Folk Intuitions ; 7. The Concept of Intentional Action: A Case Study in the Uses of Folk Psychology ; 8. Bad Acts, Blameworthy Agents, and Inentional actions: Some Problems for Juror Impartiality ; 9. Intentional Action: Two-and-a-Half Folk Concepts? ; 10. Empirical Philosophy and Experimental Philosophy ; 11. Abstract + Concrete=Paradox ; 12. How Are Experiments Relevant to Intuitions?

Read more less