Philosophy of mind Books
Oxford University Press ASSESSMENT SENSITIVITY COCO C Relative Truth and its Applications Context Content
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£72.09
Oxford University Press Making Sense of Freedom and Responsibility
Book SynopsisDana Kay Nelkin presents a simple and natural account of freedom and moral responsibility which responds to the great variety of challenges to the idea that we are free and responsible, before ultimately reaffirming our conception of ourselves as agents. Making Sense of Freedom and Responsibility begins with a defense of the rational abilities view, according to which one is responsible for an action if and only if one acts with the ability to recognize and act for good reasons. The view is compatibilist?that is, on the view defended, responsibility is compatible with determinism?and one of its striking features is a certain asymmetry: it requires the ability to do otherwise for responsibility when actions are blameworthy, but not when they are praiseworthy. In defending and elaborating the view, Nelkin questions long-held assumptions such as those concerning the relation between fairness and blame and the nature of so-called reactive attitudes such as resentment and forgiveness. Her aTrade Reviewthis profound book ... is exemplary for its rigorous examination and thought-provoking ideas and this is a must read for philosophy students and those interested in the theories of human freedom and responsibility. * Metapsychology Online Reviews *Nelkins discussions are interesting and clear. * Brian Jonathan Garrett, Philosophy in Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. A Rational Abilities View of Responsibility ; 2. Deep Assessment and Good Action ; 3. Abilities ; 4. A Compatibilist Account of Agent Causation ; 5. A Rationale for the Rational Abilities View: Praise, Blame, and the Ought Implies Can Principle ; 6. Deliberation and Alternatives ; 7. The Sense of Freedom, or Acting under the Idea of Freedom ; Concluding Thoughts ; Bibliography ; Index
£35.62
Oxford University Press Seven Puzzles of Thought
Book SynopsisSainsbury and Tye present a new theory, 'originalism', which provides natural, simple solutions to puzzles about thought that have troubled philosophers for centuries. They argue that concepts are to be individuated by their origin, rather than epistemically or semantically. Although thought is special, no special mystery attaches to its nature.Trade ReviewBesides the importance of its principal topic and the exciting inventiveness of the theory it elaborates, this book has quite a few further merits. The seven puzzles give it an engaging overall structure. Its theses and objections to competing positions are clearly stated, aptly illustrated, and ingeniously supported. The many subsidiary issues of language and mind that are taken up provide an illuminating and satisfying breadth and depth. And this is all conducted with the sly dry wit and relaxed elegance characteristic of its authors * Paul Horwich, Mind *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. The puzzles ; 2. Roads not taken ; 3. Overview of an originalist theory of concepts ; 4. The originalist theory defended and elaborated ; 5. Concept externalism, originalism and privileged access ; 6. The metaphysics of thought ; 7. The puzzles solved ; 8. Further applications: originalism and experience ; 9. Objections and replies ; References ; Index
£28.97
Oxford University Press The Phenomenal Self
Book SynopsisBarry Dainton presents a fascinating new account of the self, the key to which is experiential or phenomenal continuity.Provided our mental life continues we can easily imagine ourselves surviving the most dramatic physical alterations, or even moving from one body to another. It was this fact that led John Locke to conclude that a credible account of our persistence conditions - an account which reflects how we actually conceive of ourselves - should be framed in terms of mental rather than material continuity. But mental continuity comes in different forms. Most of Locke''s contemporary followers agree that our continued existence is secured by psychological continuity, which they take to be made up of memories, beliefs, intentions, personality traits, and the like. Dainton argues that a better and more believable account can be framed in terms of the sort of continuity we find in our streams of consciousness from moment to moment. Why? Simply because provided this continuity is not Trade ReviewReview from previous edition not only unusually rich in its discussions of phenomenology and questions about the self, but also impressively honest. ... Barry Dainton has many insightful and important things to say. The bottom line is that anyone interested in such issues could not fail to learn a great deal from his lucid and ingenious arguments and proposals. * Raymond Martin, Times Literary Supplement *[F]or anyone interested in these issues the book is rich, interesting and full of provocative ideas. * William Uzgalis, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *a highly ambitious piece of philosophical work that covers a lot of ground ... It is written in a clear, straightforward and engaging style * David Mark Kovacs, Mind *Table of Contents1. Mind and Self ; 2. Phenomenal Unity ; 3. Phenomenal Continuity ; 4. Powers and Subjects ; 5. Alternatives ; 6. Minds and Mental Integration ; 7. Embodiment ; 8. Simple Selves ; 9. Holism ; 10. Modes of Incapacitation ; 11. Objections and Reductions ; 12. The Topology of the Self ; 13. Appendix: Reductionism
£44.64
Oxford University Press Getting Causes from Powers
Book SynopsisCausation is everywhere in the world: it features in every science and technology. But how much do we truly understand it? Do we know what it means to say that one thing is a cause of another and do we understand what in the world drives causation? Getting Causes from Powers develops a new and original theory of causation based on an ontology of real powers or dispositions. Others have already suggested that this ought to be possible, but no one has yet performed the detailed work. Stephen Mumford and Rani Lill Anjum argue here that the completed theory will not look exactly as anyone has yet anticipated, and that a thoroughly dispositional theory of causation has some surprising features, for instance with respect to modality. The book is not restricted to the metaphysics of causation, but treats a variety of topics such as explanation, perception, modelling, the logic of causal claims, transitivity, and nonlinearity, and the empirical credentials of the theory are tested with referenTrade Review...their book is still the kind of book I would like to have written, and certainly a book I would urge everyone who cares to read. * Boris Hennig, Philosophical Quarterly *This book aims to furnish a bold new theory of causation based on an ontology of dispositions, and in this it is successful. . . . a wonderfully comprehensive novel whole with impressive synthetic unity. . . . ambitious and provocative.[A book] I would recommend first to non-philosophers. Mumford and Anjum assume a professional audience, but their style â intellectual as well as rhetorical â is clear, direct, and not unduly technical. * Ruth Groff, Journal of Critical Realism *what would a theory of causation look like if we assume that powers are real? In Getting Causes from Powers, Mumford and Anjum make what is perhaps the first sustained attempt to answer that question ... Such bold and innovative ideas are bound to provoke discussion * Jennifer McKitrick, Analysis *the reader is introduced to some interesting new ways of thinking about, and modelling causal processes, and in that respect it is likely to instigate interesting debate. * Benjamin T. H. Smart and Michael J. Talibard, Philosophy in Review *The book is ... lucidly written, and contains some interesting contributions: in particular on the (lack of) necessary connection between cause and effect on the perceivability of the causal relation. * Luke Glynn, Mind *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Passing Powers Around ; 2. Modelling Causes as Vectors ; 3. Against Necessity ; 4. Reductionism, Holism, and Emergence ; 5. Simultaneity ; 6. Explanation, Absences, and Counterfactuals ; 7. The Logic of Causation ; 8. Primitive Modality ; 9. Perceiving Causes ; 10. A Biologically Disposed Theory of Causation ; Conclusion ; Bibliography ; Index
£83.60
Oxford University Press Practical Intelligence and the Virtues
Book SynopsisOne of the most important developments in modern moral philosophy is the resurgence of interest in the virtues. In this new book, Daniel Russell explores two important hopes for such an approach to moral thought: that starting from the virtues should cast light on what makes an action right, and that notions like character, virtue, and vice should yield a plausible picture of human psychology. Russell argues that the key to each of these hopes is an understanding of the cognitive and deliberative skills involved in the virtues. If right action is defined in terms of acting generously or kindly, then these virtues must involve skills for determining what the kind or generous thing to do would be on a given occasion. Likewise, Russell argues that understanding virtuous action as the intelligent pursuit of virtuous goals yields a promising picture of the psychology of virtue. This book develops an Aristotelian account of the virtue of practical intelligence or ''phronesis''--an excellenceTable of ContentsPART 1. PHRONESIS, VIRTUE, AND RIGHT ACTION; PART 2. THE ENUMERATION PROBLEM; PART 3. SITUATIONS, DISPOSITIONS, AND VIRTUES; PART 4. DEFENDING HARD VIRTUE THEORY
£43.22
Oxford University Press Inc The Philosophy of Free Will
Book SynopsisThe problem of free will is one of the great perennial issues of philosophy and has been discussed and debated over many centuries. The issues that arise in this sphere cover both metaphysics and morals and concern matters of central importance not only for philosophy but also for law, theology, psychology and the social sciences. What is at stake here is nothing less than our self-image as responsible moral agents who are in control of our own destiny and fate. The investigations and findings of modern science are judged by many to put skeptical pressure on this self-image and may challenge its credibility. During the past few decades the free will controversy has developed and evolved in exciting and significant ways. All the major parties involved in this debate have had to revise and amend their core positions with a view to responding to the sophisticated and searching arguments put forward by their critics and opponents. The papers collected in this volume represent the most essTrade ReviewThe essays collected in this volume have made incredible contributions to the free will debate. It is remarkable to have so many influential works collected in this way, and anyone interested in the free will debate would benefit greatly from having this collection close at hand. * William Simkulet, Metapsychology Online Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; I. The Free Will Problem - Real or illusory? ; 1. Thomas Nagel - Moral Luck ; 2. Daniel Dennett - Please Don't Feed the Bugbears ; II. Naturalism Against Scepticism ; 3. P. F. Strawson - Freedom and Resentment ; 4. Gary Watson - Responsibility and the Limits of Evil: Variations on a Strawsonian Theme ; III. The Consequence Argument ; 5. Peter van Inwagen - The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism ; 6. Dana Nelkin - The Consequence Argument and the Mind Argument ; IV. Responsibility and Alternative Possibilities ; 7. Harry Frankfurt - Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility ; 8. Michael Otsuka - Incompatibilism and the Avoidability of Blame ; 9. Kadri Vihvelin - Free Will Demystified: A Dispositional Account ; V. Libertarian Alternatives - Soft and Hard ; 10. Robert Kane - Responsibility, Luck and Chance: Reflections on Free Will and Determinism ; 11. Randolph Clarke - Towards a Credible Agent-Causal Account of Free Will ; 12. Timothy O'Connor - Agent-Causal Power ; VI. Compatibilism: Hierarchical Theories and Manipulation Problems ; 13. Harry Frankfurt - Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person ; 14. Richard Double - Puppeteers, Hypnotists, and Neurosurgeons ; VII. Compatibilism: Reason-Based Alternatives ; 15. Susan Wolf - Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility ; 16. John M. Fischer - My Compatibilism ; VIII. Autonomy and History ; 17. John Christman - Autonomy and Personal History ; 18. Michael McKenna - Responsibility & Globally Manipulated Agents ; IX. Scepticism, Illusionism and Revisionism ; 19. Galen Strawson - The Impossibility of Ultimate Moral Responsibility ; 20. Saul Smilansky - Free Will: From Nature to Illusion ; 21. Manuel Vargas - How To Solve the Free Will Problem ; X. Optimism, Pessimism and their Modes ; 22. Derk Pereboom - Optimistic Skepticism about Free Will ; 23. Paul Russell - Compatibilist-Fatalism ; XI. The Phenomenology of Agency and Experimental Philosophy ; 24. Benjamin Libet - Do We have Free Will? ; 25. Eddy Nahmias, Stephen Morris, Thomas Nadelhoffer & Jason Turner - The Phenomenology of Free Will ; 26. Shaun Nichols & Joshua Knobe - Moral Responsibility and Determinism: The Cognitive Science of Folk Intuitions
£55.10
Oxford University Press Rationality for Mortals
Book SynopsisGerd Gigerenzer's influential work examines the rationality of individuals not from the perspective of logic or probability, but from the point of view of adaptation to the real world of human behavior and interaction with the environment. Seen from this perspective, human behavior is more rational than it might otherwise appear. This work is extremely influential and has spawned an entire research program. This volume collects recent articles, looking at how people use fast and frugal heuristics to calculate probability and risk and make decisions. It includes the revised articles and newly written introduction that were first published in the hardcover edition. Its appeal is to a mixture of cognitive psychologists, philosophers, economists, and others who study decision making. Gerd Gigerenzer has created new, pathbreaking ways of thinking about human rationality. His ideas build on one another and are best seen as part of a coherent whole that is when the nature of his arguments eTrade Review"Gerd Gigerenzer has created new, pathbreaking ways of thinking about human rationality. His ideas build on one another and are best seen as part of a coherent whole that is when the nature of his arguments emerges most clearly."-- Leda Cosmides, University of California Santa BarbaraTable of ContentsPreface 1. Bounded and rational 2. Fast and frugal heuristics 3. Rules of thumb in animals and humans 4. I think, therefore I err 5. Striking a blow for sanity in theories of rationality 6. Out of the frying pan into the fire 7. What's in a sample? A manual for building cognitive theories 8. "A 30% chance of rain tomorrow" 9. Simple tools for understanding risks: From innumeracy to insight 10. The evolution of statistical thinking 11. Mindless statistics 12. Children can solve Bayesian problems 13. In the year 2054: Innumeracy defeated References Subject Index Name Index
£32.77
Oxford University Press Following the Rules
Book SynopsisFor centuries, philosophers have been puzzled by the fact that people often respect moral obligations as a matter of principle, setting aside considerations of self-interest. In more recent years, social scientists have been puzzled by the more general phenomenon of rule-following, the fact that people often abide by social norms even when doing so produces undesirable consequences. Experimental game theorists have demonstrated conclusively that the old-fashioned picture of economic man, constantly reoptimizing in order to maximize utility in all circumstances, cannot provide adequate foundations for a general theory of rational action. The dominant response, however, has been a slide toward irrationalism. If people are ignoring the consequences of their actions, it is claimed, it must be because they are making some sort of a mistake. In Following the Rules, Joseph Heath attempts to reverse this trend, by showing how rule-following can be understood as an essential element of rationalTrade ReviewJoseph Heath seeks to resolve one of the biggest questions, or clusters of questions, in contemporary social theory, moral philosophy, and the theory of practical rationality. In the course of developing and defending his position, he touches on many of the central debates in these fields as well as in the philosophy of mind, evolutionary theory and psychology, metaethics, and decision and game theory. Following the Rules is persuasively written and will attract a lot of attention. It is an important contribution to our understanding of the controversies in question. * Christopher Morris, Department of Philosophy, University of Maryland *A well-reasoned and well-argued book. * Peter Stone, Department of Political Science, Stanford University *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Instrumental rationality ; 2. Social order ; 3. Deontic constraint ; 4. Intentional states ; 5. Preference neocognitivism ; 6. A naturalistic perspective ; 7. Transcendental necessity ; 8. Weakness of will ; 9. Normative ethics ; Conclusion
£42.74
Oxford University Press Supersizing the Mind Embodiment Action and Cognitive Extension Philosophy of Mind
Book SynopsisWhen historian Charles Weiner found pages of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman''s notes, he saw it as a record of Feynman''s work. Feynman himself, however, insisted that the notes were not a record but the work itself. In Supersizing the Mind , Andy Clark argues that our thinking doesn''t happen only in our heads but that certain forms of human cognizing include inextricable tangles of feedback, feed-forward and feed-around loops: loops that promiscuously criss-cross the boundaries of brain, body and world. The pen and paper of Feynman''s thought are just such feedback loops, physical machinery that shape the flow of thought and enlarge the boundaries of mind. Drawing upon recent work in psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, human-computer systems, and beyond, Supersizing the Mind offers both a tour of the emerging cognitive landscape and a sustained argument in favor of a conception of mind that is extended rather than brain-bound. The importance of this new perspective is profound. If our minds themselves can include aspects of our social and physical environments, then the kinds of social and physical environments we create can reconfigure our minds and our capacity for thought and reason.brilliant...[providing] the best argument I''ve seen for the idea that minds are smeared over more space than neuroscience might have us believe - New Scientist Supersizing the Mind is an important book for cognitive-science theorists of all stripes.... Although traditional and radical theorists are likely to remain unconvinced, there can be no doubt that Supersizing the Mind will set the terms for many of the coming debates.-- Times Literary Supplement ...it offers original thinking in the philosophy of mind, and it is highly recommended for academic collections in that subject.-- Library Journal In Supersizing the Mind, philosopher Andy Clark makes the compelling argument that the mind extends beyond the body to include the tools, symbols and other artefacts we deploy to engage the world.... Supersizing the Mind is a treat to read. It is brimming with remarkable ideas, novel insights and amusing language.--NatureTrade Reviewbrilliant...providing the best argument I've seen for the idea that minds are smeared over more space than neuroscience might have us believe. * New Scientist *Table of ContentsForward: By David Chalmers
£27.07
Oxford University Press, USA Basic Structures of Reality
Book SynopsisIn Basic Structures of Reality, Colin McGinn deals with questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind from the vantage point of physics. Combining general philosophy with physics, he covers such topics as the definition of matter, the nature of space, motion, gravity, electromagnetic fields, the character of physical knowledge, and consciousness and meaning. Throughout, McGinn maintains an historical perspective and seeks to determine how much we really know of the world described by physics. He defends a version of structuralism: the thesis that our knowledge is partial and merely abstract, leaving a large epistemological gap at the center of physics. McGinn then connects this element of mystery to parallel mysteries in relation to the mind. Consciousness emerges as just one more mystery of physics. A theory of matter and space is developed, according to which the impenetrability of matter is explained as the deletion of volumes of space. McGinn proposes a philosophy Trade ReviewMcGinn defends structuralism in this well-argued, engaging book at the intersection of epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and physics. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsPART ONE ; Introduction: Philosophy and Physics ; Chapter 1: The Concept of Matter ; Postscript: Particles as Fields: An Objection ; Appendix One: The Uniformity of Matter ; Appendix Two: Divisibility and Size ; Chapter 2: What is a Physical Object? ; Chapter 3: The Possibility of Motion ; Chapter 4: Motion, Change, and Physics ; Chapter 5: The Law of Inertia ; Chapter 6: Mass, Gravity, and Motion ; Chapter 7: Electric Charge: A Case Study ; Chapter 8: Two Types of Science ; Chapter 9: The Ontology of Energy ; Chapter 10: Consciousness as a Form of Matter ; Chapter 11: Matter and Meaning ; PART TWO ; Principia Metaphysica
£63.65
Oxford University Press, USA Problems from Reid
Book SynopsisJames Van Cleve here shows why Thomas Reid (1710-96) deserves a place alongside the other canonical figures of modern philosophy. He expounds Reidâs positions and arguments on a wide range of topics, taking interpretive stands on points where his meaning is disputed and assessing the value of his contributions to issues philosophers are discussing today.Among the topics Van Cleve explores are Reid''s account of perception and its relation to sensation, conception, and belief; his nativist account of the origin of the concepts of space and power; his attempt to clear the way for the belief that the things we directly perceive are external things, not ideas in our minds; his stand on the distinction between primary and secondary qualities; his account of acquired perception, whereby we come to stand in a quasi-perceptual relation to qualities not originally perceived; his claim that visual space is non-Euclidean; his answers to the questions why we see the world right side up with invertTrade ReviewTerrific book--learned, relentlessly interesting, and astonishingly clear in its argumentation. * Rex Welshon, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs *James Van Cleve has written a delightful book on Reid. It is engaging, informative, brilliant, and compelling. * Lorne Falkenstein, University of Western Ontario *If you have any interest in Reid and have some time to spare, then read it. Even if you are not much interested in Reid but want a vivid example of how to write history of philosophy, then read this book. Even if you are not much interested in the history of philosophy but wonder whether you should be, then read this book. You will be treated to a discussion whose level of scholarship, quality of prose and argumentation, and sensitivity to Reid's problems (and ours) is exceptional. * Terence Cuneo, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Sensation and Perception ; A. Explanations of Terms ; B. Sensation versus Perception ; C. Reid's Threefold Account of Perception ; D The Conception in Perception ; E. Perception and Belief ; F. Consciousness and Attention ; G. Are Sensations Self-Reflexive? ; Chapter 2: Reid's Nativism ; A. Reid's Nativism ; B. Natural Signs ; C. The Experimentum Crucis ; D. Responses to the Experimentum Crucis ; E. Woulds, Coulds, or Shoulds? ; F. Nativism as an Antidote to Skepticism? ; Chapter 3: Direct Realism Versus the Way of Ideas ; A. The Way of Ideas ; B. First Argument for the Way of Ideas: No Action at a Distance ; C. Second Argument for the Way of Ideas: Hume's Table Argument ; D. Third Argument for the Way of Ideas: Double Vision ; E. Fourth Argument for the Way of Ideas: Malebranche's Master Argument ; F. Three Forms of Direct Realism ; G. Do Sensations Obstruct Direct Realism? ; H. Is Reid a Presentational Direct Realist? ; I. All Perception is Direct Perception ; Chapter 4: Primary and Secondary Qualities ; A. Reid's Relation to Locke and Berkeley ; B. The Real Foundation: Epistemological or Metaphysical? ; C. Dispositions or Bases? ; D. Intrinsic or Extrinsic? ; E. Fixed or Variable? ; F. Four Views that Conflict with Reid's ; Chapter 5: Acquired Perception ; A. The Mechanics of Acquired Perception ; B. Is Acquired Perception Really Perception? ; C. Are Secondary Qualities Objects of Acquired Perception Only? ; D. Does Acquired Perception Alter the Content of our Original Perceptions? ; E. Could Anything Become an Object of Acquired Perception? ; F. Is Reid Inconsistent about the Requisites of Perception? ; Chapter 6: The Geometry of Visibles ; A. The Properties of Spherical Figures ; B. Depth is Not Perceived ; C. The Argument from Indistinguishability ; D. Visibles as Sense Data ; E. Coincidence as Identity ; F. Angell's Approach ; G. The Argument of Paragraph 4 ; H. The Real Basis of the Geometry of Visibles ; I. Does the Geometry of Visibles Jeopardize Direct Realism? ; J. What Are Visibles? ; K. Direct Realism and Seeing What we Touch ; L. Visible Figure as a Relativized Property of Ordinary Objects ; M. Mediated but Direct? ; Chapter 7: Erect and Inverted Vision ; A. The Naive Puzzle and Rock's Question ; B. The Classical Solution ; C. Berkeley's Solution(s) to the Naive Puzzle ; D. Reid's Alternative to Berkeley's Solution ; E. Answers to Rock's Question ; F. Experiments with Inverting Lenses ; G. Perceptual Adaptation ; Chapter 8: Molyneux's Question ; A. Molyneux's Question ; B. Empirical Evidence ; C. Berkeley's Answer ; D. Reid's answer(s) ; E. Is Berkeley's Modus Tollens Reid's Modus Ponens? ; F. The One-Two Molyneux Question ; G. Concluding Confession ; Chapter 9: Memory and Personal Identity ; A. Things Obvious and Certain with Regard to Memory ; B. Critique of the Impression and Idea Theories of Memory ; C. Memory as Direct Awareness of Things Past ; D. The Specious Present ; E. Personal Identity ; Chapter 10: Conception and its Objects ; A. Was Reid a Meinongian before Meinong? ; B. Alternatives to Meinongism: Ideas and Universals ; C. Alternatives to Meinongism: The Adverbial Theory of Thinking ; D. A Meinongian Defense of Direct Realism ; E. Assessment of the Defense ; F. Direct Realism Redux ; Chapter 11: Epistemology 1: First Principles ; A. First Principles and Epistemic Principles ; B. A Crucial Ambiguity ; C. Clues from Reid's Discussion of Descartes ; D. Particulars Versus Generals ; E. Three Reasons for Particularism ; F. Other Minds and Natural Signs ; G. Must Principles Be General? ; H. Establishing Reliability Without Circularity ; I. Reid on Confirming the Testimony of our Faculties ; J. Can Epistemic Principles Be First Principles? ; K. The Epistemic Status of Reliability Principles ; L. Conclusion ; Chapter 12: Epistemology 2: Reid's Response to the Skeptic ; A. Direct Realism ; B. Naturalism ; C. Externalism ; D. Problems for Externalism ; E. Rationalist Alternatives ; F. Conclusion ; Chapter 13: Epistemology 3: Lehrer's Reid ; A. Must a Knower Know that his Faculties are Reliable? ; B. A Special Role for Principle 7? ; C. Faculties that Vouch for Themselves? ; Chapter 14: Theory of Action 1: Causation, Action, and Volition ; A. The Notion of Active Power ; B. Two Types of Causation ; C. Universal Agent Causation ; D. Action and Volition ; Chapter 15: Theory of Action 2: Determinism, Freedom, and Agency ; A. Two Forms of Determinism ; B. What Freedom is not: the Williwig Account ; C. What Freedom is: the Agent-Causation Account ; D. The Fundamental Dilemma for Libertarianism ; E. The Regress of Exertion ; F. The Regress of Agent Causation ; G. Anomic Explanation ; Chapter 16: Reid versus Hume on Morals ; A. Hume and Reid in the Broad Scheme of Things ; B. Reid against Hume ; C. Hume against Reid ; D. Ethics and Epistemology ; Appendices ; A. Is There Knowledge by Acquaintance? ; B. Conception and Judgment: the Chicken or the Egg? ; C. Experience as a Source of Concepts ; D. Perception as Analog Representation ; E. Byrne versus Reid ; F. Infinity and Reflexivity ; G. Externality and Extension ; H. Programming the Obvious ; I. The Sun in the Sky and the Sun in my Mind ; J. Secondary Qualities: Can We Have it Both Ways? ; K. The One-Point Argument ; L. Stereo Sue ; M. Hyperbolic Claims about Hyperbolic Geometry ; N. What Is Special about the Sphere? ; O. Is Reid's Geometry Imaginable? ; P. Forlorn Reflections ; Q. Ask Marilyn ; R. Stratton Overturned ; S. Molyneux's Question Answered after 300 Years? ; T. Relative Identity ; U. Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Reid on Abstract Ideas ; V. The First Principles of Contingent Truths ; W. Reid on the First Principle(s) of Descartes ; X. Rowe's Regress ; Y. Volition and Undertaking ; Z. Reid, Chisholm, Taylor, and Ginet ; Bibliography ; Index
£87.40
Oxford University Press Why Think
Book SynopsisIn a world where natural selection has shaped adaptations of astonishing ingenuity, what is the scope and unique power of rational thinking?In this short but wide-ranging book, philosopher Ronald de Sousa looks at the twin set of issues surrounding the power of natural selection to mimic rational design, and rational thinking as itself a product of natural selection.While we commonly deem ourselves superior to other species, the logic of natural selection should not lead us to expect that nature does everything for the best. Similarly, rational action does not always promote the best possible outcomes. So what is the difference? Is the pursuit of rationality actually an effective strategy?Part of the answer lies in language, including mathematics and science. Language is the most striking device by which we have made ourselves smarter than our nearest primate cousins. Sometimes the purely instinctual responses we share with other animals put explicit reasoning to shame: the movements oTrade ReviewWhy Think? is Ronnie de Sousa at his brilliant best-- immensely learned, witty, bold, and a model of clarity. This book is a timely balance to the weight of data emphasizing the emotions and nonconscious processing in decision-making. It weaves coherent story out of a lot of bits and pieces lying about in loose confusion. * Patricia Smith Churchland, President's Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego *This book is a tour de force of scholarly insights on one of the most subtle puzzles in cognitive science--the relation between rationality and evolution. * Keith E. Stanovich, author of The Robot's Rebellion: Finding Meaning in the Age of Darwin *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Function and destiny ; 3. What's the good of thinking? ; 4. Rationality, individual and collective ; 5. Irrationality
£26.12
Oxford University Press Inc Reification A New Look At An Old Idea Berkeley Tanner Lectures The Berkeley Tanner Lectures
Book SynopsisIn the early 20th century, Marxist theory was enriched and rejuvenated by adopting the concept of reification, introduced by the Hungarian theorist Georg Lukács to identify and denounce the transformation of historical processes into ahistorical entities, human actions into things that seemed part of an immutable second nature. For a variety of reasons, both theoretical and practical, the hopes placed in de-reification as a tool of revolutionary emancipation proved vain. In these original and imaginative essays, delivered as the Tanner Lectures at the University of California, Berkeley in 2005, the distinguished third-generation Frankfurt School philosopher Axel Honneth attempts to rescue the concept of reification by recasting it in terms of the philosophy of recognition he has been developing over the past two decades. Three distinguished political and social theorists: Judith Butler, Raymond Geuss, and Jonathan Lear, respond with hard questions about the central anthropological premTrade ReviewThese lectures are continually engaging, thought provoking, and - rare blessing - a pleasure to read. Without doubt they will stimulate lively discussion of these important issues * Sean Sayers, Mind *Table of ContentsIntroduction, Martin Jay ; Reification and Recognition: A New Look at an Old Idea, Axel Honneth ; Comments: ; Judith Butler ; Raymond Geuss ; Jonathan Lear ; Rejoinder ; Axel Honneth ; Index
£30.87
Oxford University Press Naturalism and the FirstPerson Perspective
Book SynopsisScience and its philosophical companion, Naturalism, represent reality in wholly nonpersonal terms. How, if at all, can a nonpersonal scheme accommodate the first-person perspective that we all enjoy? In this volume, Lynne Rudder Baker explores that question by considering both reductive and eliminative approaches to the first-person perspective. After finding both approaches wanting, she mounts an original constructive argument to show that a nonCartesian first-person perspective belongs in the basic inventory of what exists. That is, the world that contains us persons is irreducibly personal.After arguing for the irreducibilty and ineliminability of the first-person perspective, Baker develops a theory of this perspective. The first-person perspective has two stages, rudimentary and robust. Human infants and nonhuman animals with consciousness and intentionality have rudimentary first-person perspectives. In learning a language, a person acquires a robust first-person perspective: thTrade ReviewHer [Baker's] book is characteristically thought provoking and provides us with a distinctive and, in many ways, attractive account of reality and our place in it. * Stephen Kearns, Oxford Journals Clippings: Analysis *Bakers book is a fine defence of a view worth taking seriously. It is a delight to read and is peppered with interesting arguments throughout. Just as David Chalmers enjoined us two decades ago to take phenomenal consciousness seriously, Baker wisely advises us to face up to the problem of self-consciousness. * Jacob Berger, Mind *As shown by Lynne Baker in her profound new book, scientific naturalism comes in different versions, depending on how its advocates respond to some crucial open issues...Baker sets a series of ambitious goals for her book. * Philosophical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: What is the Problem? ; The Claim of Naturalism ; A Challenge to Naturalism ; What is at Stake ; An Overview ; Part I: The Core Argument ; Ch. 1. Varieties of Naturalism ; What Counts As 'Science'? ; Reductive Naturalism ; Nonreductive Naturalism ; Disenchantment and Optimism ; Ch. 2. On Naturalizing the First-Person Perspective ; What is Naturalization? ; The Robust First-Person Perspective ; The Rudimentary First-Person Perspective ; Ch. 3. Reductive Approaches to the First-Person Perspective ; John Perry on an Epistemic Account of the Self ; David Lewis on De Se Belief ; A Comment on John Searle ; Can Cognitive Science Save the Day? ; Ch. 4. Eliminative Approaches to the First-Person Perspective ; Daniel Dennett on Consciousness ; Thomas Metzinger on a Self-Model Theory ; My Recommendation ; Ch. 5. Arguments Against First-Person Naturalization ; From First-Person Concepts to First-Person Properties ; A Linguistic Argument: A Complete Ontology Must Include First-Person Properties ; A Metaphysical Argument Against Ontological Naturalism ; Part II: An Account of the First-Person Perspective ; Ch. 6. From the Rudimentary to the Robust Stage of the First-Person Perspective ; The First-Person Perspective: Consciousness and Self-Consciousness ; Language and the Acquisition of Concepts ; How to Acquire a Self-Concept ; Human Persons: Wrap Up ; Ch. 7. Is the Idea of the First-Person Perspective Coherent? ; Personal Identity: A First-Personal Approach ; Objections and Replies ; Mark Johnston on the Self as Illusory ; Johnston's Critique Side-Stepped ; Ch. 8. A Metaphysical Framework for The First-Person Perspective ; First-Person Properties ; Dispositional Properties ; Haecceitistic Implications ; Ch. 9. Agents, Artifacts, Moral Responsibility: Some Contributions of the First-person Perspective ; Personhood ; Agency ; Artifacts ; Moral Responsibility ; Ch. 10. Natural Reality ; Near-Naturalism ; Property-Constitution and Causation ; Emergentism and Downward Causation ; How Naturalistic is Near-Naturalism? ; Index
£34.67
Oxford University Press Macrocognition
Book SynopsisWe live in an age of scientific collaboration, popular uprisings, failing political parties, and increasing corporate power. Many of these kinds of collective action derive from the decisions of intelligent and powerful leaders, and many others emerge as a result of the aggregation of individual interests. But genuinely collective mentality remains a seductive possibility. This book develops a novel approach to distributed cognition and collective intentionality. It argues that genuine cognition requires the capacity to engage in flexible goal-directed behavior, and that this requires specialized representational systems that are integrated in a way that yields fluid and skillful coping with environmental contingencies. In line with this argument, the book claims that collective mentality should be posited where and only where specialized subroutines are integrated to yields goal-directed behavior that is sensitive to the concerns that are relevant to a group as such. Unlike traditionaTrade Reviewan original and thought-provoking book that advances the field of cognitive science in a number of theoretically and practically important directions. * Matteo Colombo, Minds & Machines *In this book, Bryce Huebner articulates and defends the hypothesis of collective mentality, the claim that some collectives 'are minded' or have psychologies in the same sense as individuals. His approach is relentlessly and impressively naturalistic in setting a defense of this surprising hypothesis within a detailed computational theory of individual cognition. [It] is the most sophisticated defense of collective mentality based in cognitive science yet offered. * John Sutton, Professor of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University *Table of ContentsPart I: Macrocognition: A new foundation for a theory of collective mentality ; 1. Why bother with collective mentality? ; 2. Missteps on the road to macrocognition ; 3. One step closer on the road to macrocognition ; 4. A Plausible foundation for macrocognition ; Part II: Toward a more complete theory of collective mentality ; 5. Is collective mentality intuitively implausible? ; 6. The explanatory superfluity of collective mentality, Part I ; 7. The explanatory superfluity of collective mentality, Part II ; 8. Collective selves and collective personhood ; 9. Different kinds of collective minds ; 10. Conclusion ; References ; Index
£82.65
Oxford University Press The Contents of Visual Experience
Book SynopsisWhat do we see? We are visually conscious of colors and shapes, but are we also visually conscious of complex properties such as being John Malkovich? In this book, Susanna Siegel develops a framework for understanding the contents of visual experience, and argues that these contents involve all sorts of complex properties. Siegel starts by analyzing the notion of the contents of experience, and by arguing that theorists of all stripes should accept that experiences have contents. She then introduces a method for discovering the contents of experience: the method of phenomenal contrast. This method relies only minimally on introspection, and allows rigorous support for claims about experience. She then applies the method to make the case that we are conscious of many kinds of properties, of all sorts of causal properties, and of many other complex properties. She goes on to use the method to help analyze difficult questions about our consciousness of objects and their role in the conteTrade ReviewThis is a clearly argued book that is well worth careful study. * Heather Logue, Mind *This is an impressive book. It is rich in powerful and thought-provoking arguments, stimulating ideas, astute observations and instructive examples. * Barry Maund, Analysis *this is a clearly argued book that is well worth careful study. Siegel offers us a way to get a handle on questions about visual content - the method of phenomenal contrast - that is considerably more promising than methods that have been hitherto employed. * Heather Logue, Mind *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Seeing John Malkovich ; The Content View ; Why does it matter whether the Rich Content View is true? ; How can we decide whether the Rich Content View is true? ; Part I: Contents ; Chapter 1: Experiences ; 1.1 States of seeing and phenomenal states ; 1.2 Visual perceptual experiences ; Chapter 2: The Content View ; 2.1 Contents as accuracy conditions ; 2.2 The Argument from Accuracy ; 2.3 A flaw in the Argument from Accuracy ; 2.4 The Argument from Appearing ; 2.5 Two objections from 'looks', 'appears' and their cognates ; 2.6 The significance of the Content View ; Chapter 3: How Can We Discover the Contents of Experience? ; 3.1 Introspection ; 3.2 Naturalistic theories of content ; 3.3 The method of phenomenal contrast ; Part II: Properties ; Chapter 4: Kinds ; 4.1 The examples ; 4.2 The premises ; 4.3 Content externalism ; Chapter 5: Causation ; 5.1 The Causal Thesis ; 5.2 Michotte's results ; 5.3 Unity in experience ; 5.4 Non-causal contents ; 5.5 Raw feels ; 5.6 Non-sensory experiences ; Part III: Objects ; Chapter 6: The Role of Objects in the Contents of Experience ; 6.1 Strong and Weak Veridicality ; 6.2 The contents of states of seeing ; 6.3 The contents of phenomenal states ; 6.4 Phenomenal states: Internalism vs. Pure Disjunctivism ; 6.5 Why Internalism? ; Chapter 7: Subject and Object in the Contents of Experience ; 7.1 Subject-independence and Perspectival Connectedness ; 7.2 The Good and the Odd ; 7.3 Complex contents ; 7.4 Objections and replies ; Chapter 8: The Strong Content View revisited
£38.47
Oxford University Press Perception Hallucination and Illusion
Book SynopsisThe idea of a disjunctive theory of visual experiences first found expression in J.M. Hinton''s pioneering 1973 book Experiences. In the first monograph in this exciting area since then, William Fish develops a comprehensive disjunctive theory, incorporating detailed accounts of the three core kinds of visual experience--perception, hallucination, and illusion--and an explanation of how perception and hallucination could be indiscriminable from one another without having anything in common. In the veridical case, Fish contends that the perception of a particular state of affairs involves the subject''s being acquainted with that state of affairs, and that it is the subject''s standing in this acquaintance relation that makes the experience possess a phenomenal character. Fish argues that when we hallucinate, we are having an experience that, while lacking phenomenal character, is mistakenly supposed by the subject to possess it. Fish then shows how this approach to visual experience isTrade ReviewIn Perception, Hallucination, and Illusion, Fish does an admirable job of summarizing the current state of the debate about Naive Realism, as well as advancing the dialectic beyond that state. Most importantly, he identifies a promising yet hitherto overlooked motivation for Naive Realism, one which should bring even Naive Realism's most trenchant critics to admit that the view is worth taking seriously. ... In short, anyone on either side of the debate over Naive Realism, and those wanting to learn what all the fuss is about, would do well to study Fish's book closely. * Philosophical Books *Perception, Hallucination, and Illusion is a substantial contribution. Fish communicates a clear sense of the philosophical landscape that naive realists confront, and defends a stimulating proposal about how naive realists should deal with key parts of this landscape.... the book as a whole is a clear presentation of an intriguing and comprehensive naive-realist view, a work that harpens our understanding of the debate to which this theory contributes. * Matthew Kennedy, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Fish's core thesis is that the phenomenal character of any visual experience- in so far as it has one-consists in being acquainted with mind-independent facts. Fish's central contentions are clearly and carefully presented, their motivations and challenges even-handedly laid out, and interesting responses to the latter are offered. His view is illuminatingly placed in relation to recent discussions in the philosophy of perceptionEL Fish's book is recommended to anyone interested in disjunctivism for providing, in a reader-friendly format, both an introduction to the state of the art in the disjunctivist approach, and a stimulating version of it. * Anders Nes, Mind *Table of Contents1 Naive Realism: The Theory and its Motivations ; 2 Naive Realism: Past and Future ; 3 Perception ; 4 Hallucination ; 5 Consciousness and the Brain ; 6 Illusion ; References ; Index
£31.34
Palgrave MacMillan UK Understanding Suicide A Sociological Autopsy
Book SynopsisSociologists have debated suicide since the early days of the discipline. This book assesses that body of work and breaks new ground through a qualitatively-driven, mixed method 'sociological autopsy' ofone hundredsuicides that explores what can be known about suicidal lives.Trade Review'This work is a major contribution to the study of suicide, still one of the core topics in sociology. Introducing a novel methodology and an innovative approach to suicidal motivation, it will become a landmark study in the field'. - Professor Anthony Giddens, former Director of the LSE, UK and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, UK 'a wonderful example of what sociology can achieve: Being methodologically innovative and rigorous, theoretically rich and challenging, as well as maintaining direct relevance and utility to policy-makers and practitioners working in suicide prevention' - Network Magazine 'a much needed and important work for advanced students in the field.' - CHOICE 'Through a clever analysis of 100 suicide case files, the authors uncover a variety of neglected social and economic strains which contribute to suicide, such as indebtedness and stressful relationships at work. Their convincing analysis signals a need for researchers and clinicians to look for clusters of both sociological and psychiatric morbidity in order to obtain a better understanding of the complexities of suicide events. This combination of a 'psychological autopsy' with a 'sociological autopsy' will provide the knowledge base necessary for more effective programs for suicide prevention.' - Steven Stack, Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, Wayne State University, USATable of ContentsList of Tables and Figures Acknowledgements Introduction The Sociology of Suicide – A Critical Appreciation What is a Sociological Autopsy? Suicide Case Files as Sites of Identity Creation Suicide Notes as Social Documents Repertoires of Action When Things Fall Apart – Suicide and the Life-Course Lessons for Prevention Bibliography Index
£44.99
MIT Press Ltd The Anxious Mind
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£31.86
MIT Press Causing Human Actions New Perspectives on the Causal Theory of Action A Bradford Book
Book SynopsisLeading figures working in the philosophy of action debate foundational issues relating to the causal theory of action.The causal theory of action (CTA) is widely recognized in the literature of the philosophy of action as the standard story of human action and agency—the nearest approximation in the field to a theoretical orthodoxy. This volume brings together leading figures working in action theory today to discuss issues relating to the CTA and its applications, which range from experimental philosophy to moral psychology. Some of the contributors defend the theory while others criticize it; some draw from historical sources while others focus on recent developments; some rely on the tools of analytic philosophy while others cite the latest empirical research on human action. All agree, however, on the centrality of the CTA in the philosophy of action. The contributors first consider metaphysical issues, then reasons-explanations of action, and, finally, new directi
£38.00
MIT Press Reliable Reasoning
£25.74
Penguin Random House LLC The Neural Basis of Free Will Criterial Causation The MIT Press
£47.53
Penguin Random House LLC Naturalizing the Mind Jean Nicod Lectures
£38.78
MIT Press Ltd Consciousness Attention and Conscious Attention
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MIT Press Ltd The Spontaneous Brain
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£47.41
MIT Press Ltd Scaffolded Minds
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Penguin Random House LLC The Elm and the Expert
£30.02
Penguin Random House LLC Language Thought and Other Biological Categories New Foundations for Realism The MIT Press
£47.53
Penguin Random House LLC Vision and Mind
£49.40
MR - University of Notre Dame Press Body and Mind
Book SynopsisWidely used in philosophy courses, this succinct study explores the problem of determining the relation between the body and mind. In that philosophy seeks to explain man's place and action in nature, Campbell asserts that our assessment of the body-mind problem affects our perspectives on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and the natural sciences.Trade Review“[This] book is intended as an introduction to the mind-body problem, and it fulfills this task admirably. It is written clearly . . . but, most importantly, the author manages to communicate some of the intellectual excitement of doing philosophy. If anything, it is this sort of work that should be the responsible answer to the clamor for ‘relevance.’” —Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review/Revue canadienne de philosophie
£23.76
Yale University Press Long Commentary on the De Amina of Aristotle
£53.80
Lulu.com SelfReliance
£10.88
Random House USA Inc The History of Sexuality Vol. 3
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£15.30
Springer justintimemanufacturing
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£123.49
Basic Books The Mysterious Flame
Book SynopsisIn recent years the nature of consciousness,our immediately known experiences,has taken its place as the most profound problem that science faces. Now in this brilliant and thoroughly accessible new book Colin McGinn takes a provocative position on this perplexing problem. Arguing that we can never truly know consciousness,that the human intellect is simply not equipped to unravel this mystery,he demonstrates that accepting this limitation in fact opens up a whole new field of investigation. In elegant prose, McGinn explores the implications of this Mysterian position,such as the new value it gives to the power of dreams and introspection,and challenges the reader with intriguing questions about the very nature of our minds and brains.
£20.42
iUniverse MultiMegaTransMetamorphosis II Metamorphosis
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iUniverse On Being Stoned A Psychological Study of Marijuana Intoxication
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iUniverse The Spiritron Sperm and Education A 21st Century Primer
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iUniverse Philosophy and the Evolution of Consciousness Owen Barfields Saving the Appearances
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iUniverse Terminal Illusion Logos of Mans Doublet
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iUniverse Small Town Graces Selections From The Moundville Times 19922002
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iUniverse Meditations through the Rig Veda FourDimensional Man
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iUniverse Wisdom of The Ancestors
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iUniverse ONE STEP FORWARD TWO STEPS BACKWARD
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iUniverse The Mystery of Mind A systematic account of the human mind toward understanding its own realization
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iUniverse INSTINCTS The Hidden Spirits That Drive You
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