Description
Book SynopsisLarry M. Jorgensen provides a systematic reappraisal of Leibniz''s philosophy of mind, revealing the full metaphysical background that allowed Leibniz to see farther than most of his contemporaries. In recent philosophy much effort has been put into discovering a naturalized theory of mind. Leibniz''s efforts to reach a similar goal three hundred years earlier offer a critical stance from which we can assess our own theories. But while the goals might be similar, the content of Leibniz''s theory significantly diverges from that of today''s thought. Perhaps surprisingly, Leibniz''s theological commitments yielded a thoroughgoing naturalizing methodology: the properties of an object are explicable in terms of the object''s nature. Larry M. Jorgensen shows how this methodology led Leibniz to a fully natural theory of mind.
Trade Review...valuable and insightful contribution to the literature on Leibniz… * Julia Borcherding, The Leibniz Review *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Leibniz's Naturalizing Project 1: Nature and Natures 2: Naturalizing Constraints: Equipollence and Continuity 3: The Intelligibility of Nature Part II: The Metaphysical Basis of Minds 4: Substance and Force 5: Living Mirrors: Expression and Perception 6: Perceptual Distinctness and Mental Activity Part III: Mind in the Natural Order 7: Perception, Consciousness, and Continuity 8: Looking Back: Memory and Consciousness 9: Looking Forward: Appetite and Desire Part IV: The Prerogative of Minds 10: Rational Beings and Animal Souls 11: Moral Identity and the Appearance of the Self 12: Self-Reflection, Perception, and Conceptual Thought Conclusion
