Philosophy of mind Books

Book SynopsisIntroducing Existential Health unfolds this evolving concept and places it in the context of common understandings of health. It presents existential health as a vital dimension in understanding human well-being, complementing the traditional biopsychosocial model. It critiques reductionist and mechanistic views of health and showcases a new four-dimensional model in healthcare practice and design that integrates biological, psychological, social, and existential dimensions. Presented as a valid alternative to the biopsychosocial model, it provides modern system thinking and a holistic understanding centred around meaning and the first person perspective to give a voice to intersectional discourses and encourage equality in health.The book traces the historical evolution of health understandings, highlighting the gaps in addressing subjective and existential perspectives. It examines existential health through various lenses, including meaning-making, subjective experi

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Book SynopsisThis book critiques conventional parapsychological viewpoints about extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK), collectively referred to as âpsiâ.Since the 1930s, an over-arching view on psi has been built on J. B. Rhineâs theories and research at Duke University. The author argues that there are fundamental problems with the psi paradigm, and offers solutions based largely on Jungâs Theory of Synchronicity, treating the subject matter in a rigorous scientific way. The synchronicity concept speaks to ambiguous psi terminology, the narrow methodological approaches in psi testing, and limited interpretations of psychic experience that do not consider the pivotal role of meaning. This book considers problems with terminology, findings, and the psi construct from a Jungian synchronistic standpoint, which gives credence to issues such as archetypes, meaningfulness, and numinosity.An important new contribution to the understanding of psi, this book will be of inter

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Book SynopsisIn The Mind of Complex Numbers and the Subject in Analyses, Raul Moncayo uses the complex plane to evaluate analytic outcomes. Moncayoâs approach provides a study of the process and outcome of singular analyses that does not rely on the methods and questionnaires of psychotherapy or medical research.With reference to topology and abstract mathematics, Moncayo explores the limits of the Cartesian plane for predicting the capacity for sublimation and positive outcome. By integrating the complex plane, Moncayo arrives at an exact number to âarithmetizeâ symptoms and human capacities.This book represents a new approach to Lacanian analysis and outcomes that will be of great interest to Lacanian analysts in practice and in training.

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Book SynopsisWittgenstein and Davidson are two of the most influential and controversial figures of twentieth-century philosophy. However, whereas Wittgenstein is often regarded as a deflationary philosopher, Davidson is considered to be a theory builder and systematic philosopher par excellence. Consequently, little work has been devoted to comparing their philosophies with each other. In this volume of new essays, leading scholars show that in fact there is much that the two share. By focusing on the similarities between Wittgenstein and Davidson, the essays present compelling defences of their views and develop more coherent and convincing approaches than either philosopher was able to propose on his own. They show how philosophically fruitful and constructive reflection on Wittgenstein and Davidson continues to be, and how relevant the writings of both philosophers are to current debates in philosophy of mind, language, and action.Table of ContentsIntroduction Claudine Verheggen; 1. Holism in action Robert H. Myers; 2. Davidson's Wittgenstenian view of meaning Paul Horwich; 3. Davidson and Wittgenstein – a Homeric struggle? Åsa Wikforss; 4. Rule-following and charity: Wittgenstein and Davidson on meaning determination Kathrin Glüer; 5. Davidson's treatment of Wittgenstein's rule-following paradox Claudine Verheggen; 6. Davidson and Wittgenstein on meaning and understanding Barry Stroud; 7. The search for 'the essence of human language' in Wittgenstein and Davidson Jason Bridges; 8. Wittgenstein and Davidson on animal minds Hans-Johann Glock; 9. Wittgenstein and Davidson on first-person authority and the univocality of mental terms William Child; 10. The harmony of thought and reality: Wittgenstein and Davidson versus McDowell Tim Thornton; 11. Davidson, Russell and Wittgenstein on the problem of predication José L. Zalabardo.

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Book SynopsisThinking about self-control takes us to the heart of practical decision-making, human agency, motivation, and rational choice. Psychologists, philosophers, and decision theorists have all brought valuable insights and perspectives on how to model self-control, on different mechanisms for achieving and strengthening self-control, and on how self-control fits into the overall cognitive and affective economy. Yet these different literatures have remained relatively insulated from each other.Self-Control, Decision Theory, and Rationalitybrings them into dialog by focusing on the theme of rationality. It contains eleven newly written essays by a distinguished group of philosophers, psychologists, and decision theorists, together with a substantial introduction, collectively offering state-of-the-art perspectives on the rationality of self-control and the different mechanisms for achieving it.Table of ContentsGeneral introduction José Luis Bermúdez; 1. Temptation and preference-based rationality Johanna Thoma; 2. Self-prediction and self-control Martin Peterson and Peter Vallentyne; 3. Rational plans Paul Weirich; 4. Self-control and hyperbolic discounting Arif Ahmed; 5. Preference reversals, delay discounting, rational choice, and the brain Leonard Green and Joel Myerson; 6. In what sense are addicts irrational? Howard Rachlin; 7. Why temptation? Chrisoula Andreou; 8. Frames, rationality, and self-control José Luis Bermúdez; 9. Exercising self-control: an apparent problem resolved Alfred R. Mele; 10. Putting willpower into decision theory: the person as a team over time Natalie Gold; 11. The many ways to achieve diachronic unity Kenny Easwaran and Reuben Stern.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a uniquely accessible, comprehensive, and critical synthesis of theories of linguistic reference and meaning in the 20th century - from Frege and Kripke to the various forms of contemporary two-dimensional semantics - for advanced students as well as mature researchers in semantics, pragmatics, and philosophy of language.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Descriptivism; 2. The Referentialist Revolution; 3. Three Puzzles Arising from the Rigidity Thesis; 4. Varieties of Descriptivist Responses; 5. Two-Dimensionalism; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Tom Cochrane develops a new control theory of the emotions and related affective states. Grounded in the basic principle of negative feedback control, his original account outlines a new fundamental kind of mental content called ''valent representation''. Upon this foundation, Cochrane constructs new models for emotions, pains and pleasures, moods, expressive behaviours, evaluative reasoning, personality traits and long-term character commitments. These various states are presented as increasingly sophisticated layers of regulative control, which together underpin the architecture of the mind as a whole. Clearly structured and containing numerous diagrams and examples to illustrate the discussion, this study draws on the latest research from fields including philosophy, psychology and neuroscience, and will appeal to readers interested in the philosophy and cognitive science of emotion.Trade Review'The book does an impressive job of solidifying diverse and broad range topics in philosophy of emotion into one manuscript.' Dan Mills, Philosophy Quarterly'Tom Cochrane's book forges into the philosophy of emotion on a new and powerful vehicle: the idea of valent representations. His project is ambitious. Cochrane uses valent representations to give models of affect, pleasure and pain, emotion, moods, expressive behavior, social intentionality, norms, collective effervescence, inner speech, sentiments, personality, and character. Philosophers interested in any of these topics will find it a rich book, full of nuance and insight.' Colin Klein, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews'Cochrane's wide-ranging book makes valuable contributions to a wide variety of topics … [His] intricate, sensitive discussions of particular emotional phenomena combined with his broad survey of the contemporary literature make it valuable for anyone with an interest in the affective mind.' EthicsTable of Contents1. Valent representation; 2. Affect; 3. Emotions; 4. Bodily feelings; 5. Expression; 6. Conscious thought; 7. Personality and character; 8. Control; Appendix: emotion dimensions; Glossary; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis Element extensively surveys the contemporary debate on answering the question of what constitutes cognitive scientific progress. It provides a critical summary of the key literature on the issue over the past fifteen years. It proposes an anti-realist answer to questions whose standards are ultimately subjective.Table of Contents1. The contemporary debate on scientific progress: what constitutes cognitive progress?; 2. On second order cognitive goodness makers: the aim(s) of science; 3. Inventing cognitive progress: a subjectivist, quasi-error theoretic, view; References.

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Book SynopsisBayesian decision theory is a mathematical framework that models reasoning and decision-making under uncertain conditions. The Bayesian paradigm originated as a theory of how people should operate, not a theory of how they actually operate. Nevertheless, cognitive scientists increasingly use it to describe the actual workings of the human mind. Over the past few decades, cognitive science has produced impressive Bayesian models of mental activity. The models postulate that certain mental processes conform, or approximately conform, to Bayesian norms. Bayesian models offered within cognitive science have illuminated numerous mental phenomena, such as perception, motor control, and navigation. This Element provides a self-contained introduction to the foundations of Bayesian cognitive science. It then explores what we can learn about the mind from Bayesian models offered by cognitive scientists.

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Book SynopsisThis Element explores the nature of both imagination and creative thinking in an effort to understand the relation between them and also to understand their role in the vast array of activities in which they are typically implicated, from art, music, and literature to technology, medicine, and science. Focusing on the contemporary philosophical literature, it will take up several interrelated questions: What is imagination, and how does it fit into the cognitive architecture of the mind? What is creativity? Is imagination required for creativity? Is creativity required for imagination? Is a person simply born either imaginative or not (and likewise, either creative or not), or are imagination and creativity skills that can be cultivated? And finally, are imagination and creativity uniquely human capacities, or can they be had by nonbiological entities such as AI systems?Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. What is imagination?; 3. What is Creativity?; 4. How are imagination and creativity related?; 5. A Case Study: Imagination and Creativity in Machines; 6. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first introductory textbook of its kind devoted to philosophy of psychiatry, offering a thorough and accessible investigation of the conceptual and philosophical problems at the heart of psychiatric practice and research. While it applies some of the long-standing concerns of philosophy to the mental health professions, it also investigates philosophical problems and issues that have arisen more recently from careful examination of psychiatric phenomena. Divided into two parts, Philosophy of Psychiatric Practice and Research and Philosophy and Psychopathology, the book's 12 chapters cover topics like the ontological status of mental illness, philosophical issues in diagnosis, the role of culture in psychiatry and the relationship between mental illness and personal identity, as well as explore foundational problems in studying well-known psychopathologies like schizophrenia, depression and addiction. All chapters include initial overviews and Table of Contents1. Introduction: What is philosophy of psychiatry and why is it important? 2. What is mental illness? 3. Psychiatric diagnosis and the medical model 4. Mental illness, moral responsibility and the boundaries of the person 5. Religion, culture, pathology 6. Scientific explanation in psychiatry 7. Schizophrenia 8. Hearing Voices 9. Delusion 10. Depression 11. Addiction 12. The Future of Philosophy of Psychiatry

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Book SynopsisExploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives is the first book to offer students the full breadth of philosophical issues that are raised by the end of life. Included are many of the essential voices that have contributed to the philosophy of death and dying throughout history and in contemporary research. The 38 chapters in its nine sections contain classic texts (by authors such as Epicurus, Hume, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer) and new short argumentative essays, specially commissioned for this volume, by world-leading contemporary experts. Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying introduces students to both theoretical issues (whether we can survive death, whether death is truly bad for us, whether immortality would be desirable, etc.) and urgent practical issues (the ethics of suicide, the value of grief, the appropriate medical criteria for declaring death, etc.) raised by human mortality, enablingTrade Review"The scholarship, originality, variety, and pedagogical intelligence of Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying are outstanding to the point that a disclaimer seems in order: do not underestimate this book….. Cholbi and Timmerman have achieved the book’s compact package of breadth and depth without compromising on the completeness or clarity of the analyses and arguments. Put bluntly, it would be entirely inaccurate and unfortunate to mistake this anthology as an ad hoc "hot-topic" quick hook for undergraduates. Much to their credit, Cholbi and Timmerman have used their expertise as scholars and teachers to create an anthology that respects its subject and reader alike such that the real hook of Exploring the Philosophy of Death and Dying is not the topic but philosophy itself."Review in Teaching Philosophy by Susan Mills (MacEwan University)"The areas of death, immortality, meaning in life, and related issues are hot topics in contemporary philosophy. Once the domain only of European philosophers, especially the existentialists, in the last few decades Anglo-American analytic philosophers have jumped in. This book is an excellent introduction to the best work on these interrelated issues. The editors have done an outstanding job of selecting authors who know their stuff and write very accessibly. This book would be perfect for an undergraduate class, and it would also be invaluable to anyone interested in learning the lay of the philosophical land in this lively area of historical and contemporary interest. The book shows how philosophy engages with issues of deep human interest."John Martin Fischer, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside"This splendid collection is distinctive in many ways. The essays address issues that really matter to us, such as whether it is bad to die, and if so, why, whether we might survive death, and whether the inevitability of death undermines meaning in our lives. Although most of the essays were written by contemporary philosophers for this collection, there are also judicious selections from classic writings in the history of philosophy, including works by ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and works from Eastern traditions as well. Those who are haunted in one way or another by the specter of death, as most of us are, will find much careful argument, as well as some genuine wisdom in these pages."Jeff McMahan, White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford Table of ContentsPART I When Do We Die? 1 Defining Death: A Report on the Medical, Legal and Ethical Issues in the Determination of Death (Excerpt) 2 Defining Death in a Technological World: Why Brain Death Is Death 3 We Die When Entropy Overwhelms Homeostasis 4 What It Is to Die PART II Can We Survive Our Death? 5 The Tragic Sense of Life (Excerpts) 6 Can We Survive Our Deaths? 7 The Possibility of an Afterlife PART III Can Death Be Good or Bad for Us? If So, When Is It Good or Bad for Us? 8 Letter to Menoeceus 9 Two Arguments for Epicureanism 10 Why Death Is Not Bad for the One Who Dies 11 Death Is Bad for Us When We’re Dead 12 Making Death Not Quite as Bad for the One Who Dies PART IV Can Lucretius’ Asymmetry Problem Be Solved? 13 On the Nature of Things (Excerpts) 14 If You Want to Die Later, Then Why Don’t You Want to Have Been Born Earlier? 15 Coming Into and Going Out of Existence PART V Would Immortality Be Good for Us? 16 The Epic of Gilgamesh (Excerpts) 17 The Story of the Man Who Did Not Wish to Die 18 How to Live a Never-Ending Novela (Or, Why Immortality Needn’t Undermine Identity 19 Taking Stock of the Risks of Life without Death 20 Immortality, Boredom, and Standing for Something PART VI What Is the Best Attitude to Take Toward Our Mortality? 21 Death, Mortality, and Meaning 22 Fitting Attitudes Towards Deprivations 23 The Enchiridion (Excerpts) 24 Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion (Excerpts) 25 Voluntary Death PART VII How Should We React to the Deaths of Others? 26 Letter to Lucilius 27 Why Grieve? 28 The Significance of Future Generations 29 Death and Survival Online PART VIII Is Suicide Rationally or Morally Defensible? 30 Whether One Is Allowed to Kill Oneself 31 Of Suicide (Excerpts) 32 Suicide is Sometimes Rational and Morally Defensible 33 Suicide and Its Discontents 34 An Irrational Suicide? PART IX How Does Death Affect the Meaningfulness of Our Lives? 35 World as Will and Representation (Excerpts) 36 Death in Mind: Life, Meaning, and Mortality 37 Meaning in Life in Spite of Death 38 Out of the Blue into the Black: Reflections on Death and Meaning

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an accessible and inclusive overview of the major debates in the philosophy of action. It covers the distinct approaches taken by Donald Davidson, G.E.M. Anscombe, and numerous others to answering questions like what are intentional actions? and how do reasons explain actions? Further topics include intention, practical knowledge, weakness and strength of will, self-governance, and collective agency. With introductions, conclusions, and annotated suggested reading lists for each of the ten chapters, it is an ideal introduction for advanced undergraduates as well as any philosopher seeking a primer on these issues.Trade Review"Sarah Paul succeeds in a seemingly impossible task: she provides a clear and concise view of a sprawling and complex area of philosophy, without sacrificing accuracy or depth. Her compelling, lucid style will make this field accessible to non-specialists, and her insightful and synoptic vision of the contemporary philosophical debates about action will make this book valuable to experts as well. This is the best introduction to the field, a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy of action."Sergio Tenenbaum, University of Toronto"In this book Sarah Paul achieves the near impossible: she provides a lucid survey of contemporary action theory that is assertive enough to serve as both guide and antagonist for readers while being fair to competing views in ways their critics rarely are. This is, by far, the best introduction to action theory I know."Kieran Setiya, MITTable of Contents1. Introduction: What Is the Philosophy of Action? 2. What Is the Problem of Action? 3. Action Explanation 4. The Ontology of Action 5. Intention 6. Practical Knowledge 7. Does Action Have a Constitutive Aim? 8. Identification and Self-Governance 9. Temptation, Weakness, and Strength of Will 10. Collective Agency 11. Concluding Thoughts

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy for Everyone begins by explaining what philosophy is before exploring the questions and issues at the foundation of this important subject.Key topics in this new edition and their areas of focus include: Moral philosophy â the nature of our moral judgments and reactions, whether they aim at some objective moral truth, or are mere personal or cultural preferences; and the possibility of moral responsibility given the sorts of things that cause behavior; Political philosophy â fundamental questions about the nature of states and their relationship to the citizens within those states Epistemology â what our knowledge of the world and ourselves consists in, and how we come to have it; and whether we should form beliefs by trusting what other people tell us; Philosophy of mind â what it means for something to have a mind, and how minds should be understood and explained; Philosophy of science â foundational conceptual issTrade ReviewPraise for the First Edition: 'Philosophy for Everyone is an accessible introduction to some of the most fundamental topics in philosophy with a contemporary twist. It exemplifies the virtues of treating philosophy as an activity that anyone can engage in.' - Michael P. Lynch, University of Connecticut, USA 'Readers wishing to gain some initial understanding of what philosophers do and how they do it will find nothing better than this clear and comprehensive introduction to the field.' - Ram Neta, University of North Carolina, USA Table of ContentsWhat is Philosophy? What is Knowledge? And Do We Have Any? Minds, Brains and Computers Morality: Objective, Relative or Emotive? Should You Believe What You Hear? Are Scientific Theories True? Time Travel and Philosophy Free Will Political Philosophy

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Book SynopsisMartin Heidegger is one of the most important as well as one of the most difficult thinkers of the last century. His masterpiece Being and Time has been described as the most profound turning point in German philosophy since Hegel. Raymond Tallis, who has been arguing with Heidegger for over thirty years, illuminates his fundamental ideas through an imaginary conversation, which is both relaxed and rigorous, witty and profound. The Conversation defines Heidegger''s relevance to the philosophical agenda of the present century by illuminating his great contribution to our thinking about what it is to be a human being while identifying the weaknesses in his thought.Trade Review'Lively, engaging and does something that few philosophy books do - it gives a real sense of how even seemingly abstruse metaphysical issues can be of the first moment of a person's life - It is the testament of a talented writer to the immense grip of Heidegger's thought can exert. Unique in its style, the book has a genuine significance which more orthodox discussions, though several of them are perfectly worthy, do not.' - David Cooper, University of DurhamTable of ContentsPreface By Way of Introduction PART I In My Study: Beyond the Subject and Object A Breath of Fresh Air Intermezzo Wayfaring Darkness in Todtnauberg PART II Leaving You and Not Quite Leaving You Sunlight on My Arm Notes References Appendix: Some Controversies in the Interpretation of Being and Time Index

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Book SynopsisDiscussing marginality from an analytic perspective and drawing on canonical theories by a diverse set of authors, such as Dilthey, Collingwood, Wittgenstein, Foucault, John McDowell, Susan Carey, Michael Tomasello, and Chris Frith, this book is an important contribution to ongoing debates on marginality among psychiatrists, psychologists, social scientists, and philosophers. Psychology often resorts to overambitious theorizing due to a perceived pressure to justify its scientific credentials. Taking the cases of preverbal children and mentally ill patients, George Tudorie illustrates that applying overarching and unifying explanations to marginal subjects is problematic, arguing instead that those at the margins should be given their proper explanatory autonomy. Tudorie examines recent cognitive theories on early development in children to reveal the difficulties of conceptualising the emergence of human abilities, while also demonstrating how cognitive accounts of psychosis, builTrade ReviewProbing the relationship between philosophy and psychology, Tudorie boldly confronts systemic injustices underlying long-held, paradigmatic approaches to explaining the human mind. The arguments presented equip readers to confront mysteries that conventional psychological concepts often subvert. Through investigating the “philosophy of psychology,” Tudorie examines the language—the conceptual fabric—of norms, deviations, and all that occurs in varying degrees from constructed ideals. Language is revealed as both the means and barricade to acquiring diverse epistemologies for explaining the human mind. Methodically and courageously, Tudorie confronts readers with difficult questions that counter cultural assumptions and create space for nuanced ways of conceiving psychological theory, research, and practice. * Laura Russell, Associate Professor of Communication, Denison University, USA *Writing in clear and accessible prose, George Tudorie delivers a rich philosophical history of psychology. Offering sharp insight into the development of a discipline as much as to questions about what it means to be human, Marginality in Philosophy and Psychology is essential reading for students of psychology, but also for scholars interested in the history of consciousness. * Bruce O’Neill, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Saint Louis University, USA *George Tudorie’s Marginality in Philosophy and Psychology: The Limits of Psychological Explanation is, at first glance, an extraordinarily judicious and subtle critique of the role of philosophical premises in recent psychological and cognitive-scientific research. Tudorie persuasively argues that philosophies presupposing the normal adult mind may not provide a stable conceptual basis for research in developmental psychology and psychopathology. His book also provides a readable and timely history of the sciences of mind. Finally, Tudorie makes an impassioned plea for the importance of methodological precautions and guardrails in the field of psychology and by extension the social sciences in general. Social science, in this case psychology, is perched between natural scientific and humanistic methodologies and remains the problem child (despite and because of the vast scale of its institutionalization). This fundamental insight does not lead Tudorie to an anti-psychological or anti-scientific position. He instead calls for heightened epistemic responsibility based on the clear-eyed recognition that the social sciences are here to stay, and that they are a source of truth-claims we can no longer do without. This essentially practical quality of social scientific knowledge makes it imperative to deal openly with inherited epistemological deficits, which translate into vast real-world human costs. * Kirk Wetters, Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures, Yale University, USA *In this exciting new book, George Tudorie offers a devastating critique of certain philosophical commitments that remain central to mainstream psychology, with a particular emphasis on the explanatory relation between marginal and paradigmatic cases. Practitioners from across a number of psychological schools would greatly benefit from paying attention to its wealth of insights. Marginality in Philosophy and Psychology: The Limits of Psychological Explanation is a must-read for anybody interested in what psychological explanations can and cannot do. * Constantine Sandis, Professor of Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Against Cognitivism 2. Manifest Destiny in Psychology 3. Enter the Skeptics 4. Wittgenstein and the Limits of the Exotic 5. Imperial Borderlines; McDowell’s Reasons 6. Early Childhood as Margin 7. Psychosis as Margin Conclusion Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisOur ability to think, argue and reason is determined by our ability to question. Questions are a vital component of critical thinking, yet we underestimate the role they play. Using Questions to Think puts questioning back in the spotlight.Naming the parts of questions at the same time as we name parts of thought, this one-of-a-kind introduction allows us to see how questions relate to the definitions of propositions, premises, conclusions, and the validity of arguments. Why is this important? Making the role of questions visible in thinking reasoning and dialogue, allows us to:- Ask better questions- Improve our capability to understand an argument - Exercise vigilance in the act of questioning- Make explicit what you already know implicitly- Engage with ideas that contradict our own- See ideas in broader contextBreathing new life into our current approach to critical thinking, this practical, much-needed textbook moves us away from the traditional focus on formal argument and Trade ReviewDrawing on hermeneutic phenomenology, Dickman focuses inquiry on the necessity of genuine questioning for understanding and sense. Elegantly organized and including a helpful appendix for instructors, this insightful text offers a fresh approach and will be a welcome addition to courses in critical thinking, philosophy of language, and more. * Robert H. Scott, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of North Georgia, USA *Drawing on phenomenology, hermeneutics, and the philosophy of language, this text explores both the technical and existential dimensions of reasoning. Through challenging yet inviting prose, Dickman offers a welcome and innovative approach to critical thinking that brings students along on an authentic philosophical journey into the nature of questioning. * Rebecca Scott, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Harper College, USA *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: An Age of Answers Part I: Make Questions Explicit for Thinking 1. Thinking Only Happens in Complete Thoughts 2. What Do Questions Do to Complete Thoughts? 3. A Logic of Question-and-Answer Part II: Make Questions Explicit for Reasoning 4. Reasoning Only Happens in Explicit Arguments 5. What Do Questions Do to Arguments? 6. A Rationality of Questioning-and-Reasoning Part III: Make Questions Explicit in Dialogue 7. Dialogue Only Happens in Constructive Reconciliations 8. What Do Questions Do to Dialogues? 9. A Dialectic of Questionability-and-Responsibility Conclusion: The End(s) of Questions Appendix for Instructors Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWe know, more intimately than anything else, what it's like to undergo a rich world of experiences: agonizing pains, dizzying pleasures, heady rage and existential doubts. But, despite the incredible advances of physical science, it seems that we're no closer to an explanation of how this inner world of experiences comes about. No matter how detailed our description of the physical brain, perhaps we'll always be left with this same question: how and why does the brain produce consciousness? This book is a short, accessible and engaging guide to the mystery of consciousness. Featuring remastered interviews and original essays from the world's leading thinkers, Philosophers on Consciousness sheds new light on the most promising theories in philosophy and science. Beyond understanding the mind, this is a journey into personal identity, the origin of meaning, the nature of morality and the fundamental structure of reality.Contributors include: Miri Albahari, Susan Blackmore, David CTrade ReviewThis book is for everyone who is in the least philosopho-curious. Amateurs like me, thrashing about in the shallows, usually have to read every sentence in a book on philosophy, however apparently simple, at least four times before understanding it (and then forgetting it all the moment we have turned the page). Not so with Philosophers on Consciousness. Here are some of the world's most notable and respected thinkers, each adding their thoughts on the field known as ‘philosophy of mind’, most especially on the famous ‘hard problem’ of consciousness, and all communicating with remarkable clarity and approachable ease. Jack Symes guides us charmingly and authoritatively through, introducing and summing up the contributions, filling the role of interlocutor and interviewer, distributing delightful inline ‘info-boxes’ offering explanations of concepts, characters and context as you read. He does so with a wit and freshness that enlivens without trivializing. It cannot be common to find Toblerones, Paul Rudd and Adam Sandler sharing pages with the most distinguished philosophers alive. This is a book that everyone interested in the human mind will fall on like… like a hungry student on a Toblerone. * Stephen Fry *Symes’ book is an eminently enjoyable introduction to some of the explanatory options on hand, with a great selection of additional resources for further exploration ... you won’t go wrong in reading it. * Marmite and Metaphysics, Naturalism.org *Table of ContentsContributors Illustration Acknowledgements Preface 1. Why Consciousness Matters, Gregory Miller 2. The Grand Illusion, Susan Blackmore 3. The Hard Problem, David Chalmers 4. A Change of Heart, Frank Jackson 5. The Given, Michelle Montague 6. A Biologist’s Perspective, Massimo Pigliucci 7. The Hornswoggle Problem, Patricia Churchland 8. Illusionism, Keith Frankish 9. Closing the Theatre, Daniel Dennett 10. The Denial, Galen Strawson 11. Galileo’s Error, Philip Goff 12. The World as Consciousness, Miri Albahari & Jack Symes Notes & Sources Index

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Book SynopsisMassimo Marraffa and Cristina Meini re-connect the psychology of identity with its philosophical roots in this study. They trace the contemporary problem of the self to John Locke and William James' foundational theories on personal identity. By integrating the philosophy of identity with empirical and neuropsychological research, Marraffa and Meini provide an original synthesis of multidisciplinary conceptions of the self. The Developmental Psychology of Personal Identity builds on Chomsky-inspired developmental psychology, Jean Piaget's constructivism, Lev Vygotskij's sociocultural perspective on development and John Bowlby's attachment theory. In this theoretical framework, the book draws on the data of the psychological sciences to reconstruct the trajectory of the self as a Lockean person' (i.e., as morally responsible agent). The authors link the birth of self-consciousness through the body and emotions to the construction of a narrative self. Their combination

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Book SynopsisUsing Symbolic Interactionist theories and descriptions of the everyday life of self-defined 'shy' people, the book explores the social processes of becoming a 'shy person' and performing the shy self in public places. The question of interactional competence is discussed in relation to issues of identity, embodiment, performativity and deviance.Trade ReviewShortlisted for the 2008 BSA Philip Abrams Memorial Prize. For more information about the prize, see http://www.britsoc.co.uk/publications/PAM.htm 'This book is a 'should read' for anyone sociologically interested in the public performance of emotions, the self, and identity.' - Michael Atkinson, American Journal of SociologyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Entering the Secret World of the Shy Shyness in Cultural and Historical Perspective Dramaturgical Dilemmas of the Shy Self Outsiders and Enclosures Poise, Performance and Self-Presentation Rules, Reactions and Resistance Concluding Remarks Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1844, Søren Kierkegaard’s concise treatise identified—long before Freud—anxiety as a profound human condition, portraying human existence largely as a constant struggle with our own spiritual identities.Trade Review"“[A] book at once so profound and byzantine that it seems to aim at evoking the very feeling it dissects. Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Kierkegaard reflected on the question of how to communicate the truths that we live by.”" -- The New York Times"“[A] book at once so profound and byzantine that it seems to aim at evoking the very feeling it dissects. Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Kierkegaard reflected on the question of how to communicate the truths that we live by.”" -- The New York Times

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Book SynopsisAn exciting journey through history, socio-economic discourse, and philosophical discussion. This book will guide you, using a holistic approach to finding true happiness. It has the potential to change lives, not by giving advice as to how you should lead your life but by exposing you to concepts, philosophies and a way of thinking (for yourself) that may not have been so obvious before.Providing an abundance of stimulation and enlightenment on several key topics, it breaks happiness down into three parts (Money, Love, and Health). The etymology of the word “happiness” means “living well”. What flows from this is that if you “live well” you will find happiness and the reason most people believe they will be happy if they are wealthy, in love and in good health is that those three things i.e. money, love, and health promote well-being. This trifecta has the power to make us happy when things are going smoothly, but also the ability to make us really miserable when they are not. The Quest for Happiness is something that every single one of us aspires to.Our Quest for happiness begins by following historical and present-day examples of figures of accomplishment, those who have succeeded in their own Quests. The whole idea is to encourage the reader to have the mindset of an explorer; because explorers are a special type of human being. They have physical endurance – they have mental toughness – They have plenty of determination and a deep feeling of purpose and most of all they have faith in their pursuit. The author took this concept of exploration a bit further. Geographical explorations have limits whilst exploration of ourselves as a human being is infinite. The author is inviting her readers to turn inwards; because when you turn inwards this is where you find your own treasure.The book is shaped like a journey, and the author is taking her readers on an Epic Journey serving as their tour guide. This book will entice, surprise and inspire. The words have depth, the journey is meaningful and the message uplifting and thought-provoking. Are you ready for your Quest?

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Book SynopsisThe most important thing in my life, in anyone''s life, is the state of our mind. But sometimes people can easily spend as much as half their waking hours in a vaguely mind-wandering, daydreaming, out-of it, zoned out, zombie state of mind.For thousands of years people have been finding ways to enlighten their minds in their lives.This book shows you how to enlighten your mind by using any of a few simple mental gestures, and most important: YOU DON''T HAVE TO MEDITATE. There is no need for long and tedious ''practice,'' where you sit silently trying to jerk your mind into an unnatural contorted position, and then keep dragging it back into that position when it quite naturally revolts against it.You don''t need a teacher or a guru or to carve out a special time or go to a special place or do any repetitive activity or spiritual ''exercise'' or engage in any intentional discriminating reflection or apply any rule of moral conduct or take the least trouble to do ''good.''This book not only explains what enlightenment means but most importantly it describes exactly how to do any of 7 simple mental gestures, any one of which brings you awake at once and any one of which you can test out for yourself. I want to be clear: you can test them out right away right now and see that they work immediately.Enlightenment is the same thing as full awakeness, full consciousness, high consciousness.What it feels like: State of immediate presence; Simple feeling of being, Sparkling awareness.Who is doing this: There is an intensified feeling that You Are There; You are seeing things from Inside Your Perspective, which you carry around with you always; I-am-ness.The 7 mental gestures are from the 21st century (1) , 20th century (3), 7th century (1), 6th century (1) CE, and 5th century (1) BCE, with supporting material from all the centuries between. They were created in France (1), China (1), Tibet (1), India (1), and the US (3), with supporting material from all over.All that is in Section 1 - GETTING THERE RIGHT-AWAY NOW. Section 2 - THE BABY ON THE BATTLEFIELD - explains how to easily prevent the hostile army of your own negative thoughts from kidnapping you and carrying you away; Section 3 - BEING HERE RIGHT-AWAY NOW- enumerates the rewards and benefits, and Section 4 - YOU CAN GO WHEREVER YOU WANT! - points you towards deciding for yourself what you want to do next in your life, taking along your always-available enlightened mind.You might well ask: Why weren''t we told about this before? The reason is that although this has been well known since the beginning, the idea of enlightenment has been taken over by institutions, which become encrusted with not only property and buildings and treasure but also hordes of personnel, who write vast libraries of scriptures, and those employees have to keep their customers occupied and get them to commit themselves and their resources, so they create an immense body of rituals. Meditations are such rituals.There are already hundreds of meditation rituals, and more are being created all the time, as you can find on the internet. You can well ask yourself: If any of these were effective, why would we have to keep creating hundreds of new ones? Suppose a doctor said, "Oh yes, we can treat this disease; in fact, we have hundreds of treatments for it." Wouldn''t you wonder why so many treatments would be needed if any of them were effective?This book cuts through the mumbo-jumbo and gives it to you straight. A quote from Buddha: "Enlightened on their own...In this whole world, there is no one except myself equal to those enlightened on their own...These attain insight alone...fully and perfectly enlightened all by themselves! ..illuminators of the world, shining like pure solid gold, undoubtedly worthy of any gifts in this world."

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis'Intellectual Entertainments' consists of eight philosophical dialogues, each with five participants, some living, some imaginary and some dead. The dialogues take place either in Elysium or in an imaginary Oxford Common Room. Each historical figure speaks in his own idiom with a distinctive turn of phrase. The imaginary figures speak in the accent and idiom of their respective countries (English, Scottish, American, Australian). The themes are the nature of the mind and the relation between mind and body; the nature of consciousness and its demystification; the nature of thought and its relation to speech; and the objectivity or subjectivity of perceptual qualities such as colour, sound, smell, taste and warmth. Each participant presents a different point of view and defends his position against the arguments of the others. No philosophical knowledge is presupposed.Trade Review‘No one interested in philosophy should miss this exceptional opportunity to enter the philosophical fray through dialogues spiced with humour, and achieve clarity on the most difficult and controversial philosophical questions such as the nature of the mind; how it relates to the body and differs from the brain; whether consciousness exists; the nature of thought and how it relates to language. This is a tour de force by the most eminent Wittgenstein scholar of our time.’ — Daniele Moyal-Sharrock, Professor of Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire, UK, and President of the British Wittgenstein Society‘In these engaging dialogues Peter Hacker has distilled a lifetime’s meticulous and insightful philosophical reflection on consciousness, thought and the nature of the mind, and the often misguided ways in which we talk and think about them.’ — John Cottingham, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Reading, UK, and Professor of Philosophy, University of Roehampton, UKTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Section 1 Two Dialogues on Mind and Body; Introduction; First Dialogue On the Nature of the Mind; Second Dialogue The Mind and the Body; Section 2 Two Dialogues on Consciousness; Introduction; Third Dialogue The Mystery of Consciousness; Fourth Dialogue Consciousness as Experience – Consciousness as Life Itself; Section 3 A Dialogue on the Objectivity or Subjectivity of Perceptual Qualities; Introduction; Fifth Dialogue On the Objectivity or Subjectivity of Perceptual Qualities; Section 4 Two Dialogues on Thought; Introduction; Sixth Dialogue Thought; Seventh Dialogue Thought and Language; Section 5 A Dialogue on Ownership of Pain; Introduction; Eighth Dialogue Can You Have My Pain? Can Different People Have the Same Pain?

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Book SynopsisWhat goes on in creative writers’ heads when they write? What can cognitive psychology, neuroscience, literary studies and previous research in creative writing studies tell creative writers about the processes of their writing mind? Creative writers have for centuries undertaken cognitive research. Some described cognition in vivid exegetical essays, but most investigated the mind in creative writing itself, in descriptions of the thinking of characters in fiction, poetry and plays. The inner voicings and inner visualising revealed in Greek choruses, in soliloquies, in stream-of-consciousness narratives are creative writers’ ‘research results’ from studying their own cognition, and the thinking of others. The Creative Writer’s Mind is a book for creative writers: it sets out to cross the gap between creative writing and science, between the creative arts and cognitive research.Trade ReviewHow might writers think about the kinds of thinking that go into writing? Nigel Krauth takes up glimmers of insight offered by neuroscience, psychology, and centuries of writers who ‘notice thought’. If you wonder how to start writing, how to go on with it, or if you suspect you might learn from questions asked by others, this book will become your companion. * Kevin Brophy, Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia *Thrillingly broad in reference and combining the insights of a novelist with the curiosity of a cognitive scientist, this fascinating book will appeal to anyone interested in the workings of the creative mind. * Charles Fernyhough, Durham University, UK *Nigel Krauth’s new book constitutes a line of flight, one that traces the movement creatives make from the familiar to the arcane, swooping between writing science and neuroscience, imagination and evidence, and navigating all the complex considerations that lie behind the production of a work of literary art. * Jen Webb, University of Canberra, Australia *Table of ContentsFigures Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. Depictions of the Creative Writing Mind Chapter 2. Writers and Thinking, According to Critics Chapter 3. Thinking and Writing, According to Writers Chapter 4. The Mosaic Mind: Writing and Divergent Thinking Chapter 5. The Flow Mind: Writing and Convergent Thinking Chapter 6. Reflective Questions for Developing Writers and Classroom Discussions References Index

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Book SynopsisThe essays in Logos and Life, mainly dating from 2014 and later, cover topics in philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, ethics and philosophy of language. There are numerous strands connecting these four areas, which Roger Teichmann highlights: in this sense the collection exhibits thematic unity as well as diversity. Several of the essays take as their starting points the ideas and philosophical methods of Wittgenstein and of Elizabeth Anscombe, and so will be of interest to anyone studying those philosophers. A newly written Introduction serves to indicate the main themes and arguments of the book, and provides an overall statement of Teichmann's philosophy.

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Book SynopsisThis book uses a neo-Aristotelian framework to examine human subjectivity as an embodied being. It examines the varieties of reductionism that affect philosophical writing about human origins and identity, and explores the nature of rational subjectivity as emergent from our neurobiological constitution. This allows a consideration of the effect of neurological interventions such as psychosurgery, neuroimplantation, and the promise of cyborgs on the image of the human. It then examines multiple personality disorder and its implications for narrative theories of the self, and explores the idea of human spirituality as an essential aspect of embodied human subjectivity.

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Book SynopsisThe purpose of The Corporeal Turn is to document in a single text the impressive array of investigations possible with respect to the body and bodily life, and to show that, whatever the specific topic being examined, it is a matter of fathoming and elucidating complex and subtle structures of animate meaning. The corporeal turn is envisioned as an ever-expanding, continuous, and open-ended spiral of inquiry in which deeper and deeper understandings are forged, understandings that in each instance themselves call out for deeper and deeper inquiries. The first thirteen essays have already been published as distinct articles. The two new essays constituting the final two chapters are testimony to this open-ended spiral of inquiry.

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Book SynopsisThis book uses Viktor Frankl’s Existential Psychology (logotherapy) to explore the ways some professors use unusually personal scholarship to discover meaning in personal adversity. A psychiatrist imprisoned for three years in Nazi concentration camps, Frankl believed the search for meaning is a powerful motivator, and that its discovery can be profoundly therapeutic. Part I begins with four stories of professors finding meaning. Using the case studies as a foundation, Part II investigates issues of epistemology and ethics in unusually personal research from an existential perspective. The book offers advice for graduate students and faculty who want to live and work more meaningfully in the academy.Table of Contents1. Introduction to Mesearch2. Mesearch in the Social and Behavioral Sciences3. Mesearch in the Hard Sciences4. Mesearch in the Arts and Humanities5. Autoethnography6. Mesearch in Graduate School7. Mesearch and Motivation8. To Disclose or Not?9. Getting a Job and Getting Tenure10. Mesearch as Therapeutic Practice11. Mesearch and Activism12. The Case for a New Epistemology13. The Future of Mesearch

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Book SynopsisThis innovative book proposes a unique and original perspective on the nature of the mind and how phenomenal consciousness may arise in a physical world. From simple sentient organisms to complex self-reflective systems, Faye argues for a naturalistic-evolutionary approach to philosophy of mind and consciousness. Drawing on substantial literature in evolutionary biology and cognitive science, this book offers a promising alternative to the major theories of the mind-body problem: the quality of our experiences should not, as some philosophers have claimed, be associated with subjectivity that is not open for scientific explanation, nor should it be associated with intrinsic properties of the brain. Instead, Faye argues that mental properties are extrinsic properties of the brain caused by the organism’s interaction with its environment. Taking on the explanatory gap, and rejecting the ontological pluralism of present naturalist theories of the mind, Faye thus proposes a unified view of reality in which it is possible to explain qualitative mental presentations as part of the physical world. Table of ContentsChapter 1: Flipping the Debate.- Chapter 2: Our Animal Mind.- Chapter 3: Subjectivity in a Biological Perspective.- Chapter 4: A Difference That Is No Difference.- Chapter 5: Why Identity Is Not Enough.- Chapter 6: Functionalism, Mechanisms, and Levels of Reality.- Chapter 7: The Environment Is What Matters.- Chapter 8: Understanding Consciousness.- Chapter 9: Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an analysis of experimental psychology that is embedded in a general understanding of human behavior. It provides methodological self-awareness for researchers who study and use the experimental method in psychology. The book critically reviews key research areas (e.g., rule-breaking, sense of agency, free choice, task switching, task sharing, and mind wandering), examining their scope, limits, ambiguities, and implicit theoretical commitments. Topics featured in this text include: Methods of critique in experimental research Goal hierarchies and organization of a task Rule-following and rule-breaking behavior Sense of agency Free-choice tasks Mind wandering Experimental Psychology and Human Agency will be of interest to researchers and undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of experimental psychology, cognitive psychology, theoretical psychology, and critical psychology, as well as various philosophical disciplines. Table of ContentsChapter 1: Shifting Focus.- Chapter 2: Experience and Reality.- Chapter 3: Hierarchies of Purpose.- Chapter 4: Rules of a Task.- Chapter 5: What is a Task?.- Chapter 6: Free Choice.- Chapter 7: Sense of Agency.- Chapter 8: Varieties of Disengagement.- Chapter 9: A Reflective Science.

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