Philosophy of Mind : A Contemporary Introduction

by Heil,John

• ISBN13: 9780415283557
• ISBN10: 0415283558
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-07-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introductionis a comprehensive and accessible survey of main themes, positions and debates in philosophy of mind. John Heil introduces and discusses the major topics in succinct, user-friendly, self-contained chapters:* Cartesian dualism* Descartes's legacy* non-Cartesian dualism* behaviorism* the identity theory* functionalism* the representational theory of mind* qualia* radical interpretation* the intentional stance* eliminativism* property dualism* mind and metaphysics* the mind's place in natureThis revised and updated edition includes expanded chapters on eliminativism, qualia, and the representational theory of mind, and an entirely new chapter on property dualism. There are annotated suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, updated to include recent material and internet resources.

Table of Contents

Preface to the second edition	x
Preface to the first edition	xi
1 Introduction	1	(14)
1.1 Experience and reality	1	(2)
1.2 The unavoidability of the philosophy of mind	3	(1)
1.3 Science and metaphysics	4	(1)
1.4 Metaphysics and cognitive science	5	(1)
1.5 A look ahead	6	(6)
Suggested reading	12	(3)
2 Cartesian dualism	15	(12)
2.1 Science and philosophy	15	(1)
2.2 Descartes's dualism	16	(2)
2.3 Substances, attributes, and modes	18	(2)
2.4 The metaphysics of Cartesian dualism	20	(2)
2.5 Mind-body interaction	22	(4)
Suggested reading	26	(1)
3 Descartes's legacy	27	(14)
3.1 Dualism without interaction	27	(1)
3.2 Parallelism	27	(2)
3.3 Occasionalism	29	(1)
3.4 Causation and occasionalism	30	(3)
3.5 Idealism	33	(2)
3.6 Mind and meaning	35	(2)
3.7 Epiphenomenalism	37	(3)
Suggested reading	40	(1)
4 Non-Cartesian dualism	41	(10)
4.1 Three facets of Cartesian dualism	41	(1)
4.2 Individuating substances	41	(2)
4.3 Metaphysical interlude	43	(1)
4.4 Substance dualism	44	(2)
4.5 Self-body interaction	46	(2)
4.6 Taking stock	48	(1)
Suggested reading	49	(2)
5 Behaviorism	51	(21)
5.1 Moving away from dualism	51	(1)
5.2 Historical and philosophical background	52	(2)
5.3 Privacy and its consequences	54	(1)
5.4 The beetle in the box	55	(2)
5.5 Philosophical behaviorism	57	(2)
5.6 Dispositions	59	(1)
5.7 Behavioral analysis	60	(2)
5.8 Sensation	62	(1)
5.9 The legacy of philosophical behaviorism	63	(1)
5.10 Intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics	63	(1)
5.11 Psychological behaviorism	64	(3)
5.12 The demise of behaviorism	67	(2)
Suggested reading	69	(3)
6 The identity theory	72	(17)
6.1 Correlation to identification	72	(1)
6.2 Parsimony	73	(1)
6.3 Self-conscious thought	74	(1)
6.4 Locating mental qualities	75	(1)
6.5 Substance, properties, states, and events	76	(2)
6.6 Predicates and properties	78	(1)
6.7 Strict identity	79	(1)
6.8 Leibniz's Law	80	(1)
6.9 The $64 question	81	(2)
6.10 Qualities of experiences and qualities experienced	83	(2)
6.11 Epistemological loose ends	85	(1)
6.12 Taking stock	86	(1)
Suggested reading	87	(2)
7 Functionalism	89	(17)
7.1 The emergence of functionalism	89	(1)
7.2 The functionalist picture	90	(1)
7.3 Abstraction as partial consideration	91	(1)
7.4 Minds as computing machines	91	(1)
7.5 Functional explanation	92	(1)
7.6 Functionalist ontology	93	(2)
7.7 Functionalism and materialism	95	(1)
7.8 Functional properties	96	(3)
7.9 Mental properties as functional properties	99	(1)
7.10 Functionalism and behaviorism	100	(1)
7.11 Characterizing functional states	101	(3)
7.12 Total functional systems	104	(1)
Suggested reading	105	(1)
8 The Representational Theory of Mind	106	(17)
8.1 Mental representation	106	(1)
8.2 Semantic engines	107	(2)
8.3 The mind as a semantic engine	109	(2)
8.4 The Chinese Room	111	(2)
8.5 From syntax to semantics	113	(2)
8.6 Levels of description	115	(1)
8.7 Levels of description and the special sciences	116	(2)
8.8 From taxonomy to ontology	118	(3)
8.9 Layers of reality	121	(1)
Suggested reading	122	(1)
9 Qualia	123	(8)
9.1 Qualities of conscious experiences	123	(1)
9.2 Zombies	124	(1)
9.3 Biting the bullet	125	(1)
9.4 Living without qualia	126	(3)
9.5 The mystery of consciousness	129	(1)
Suggested reading	129	(2)
10 Radical interpretation	131	(24)
10.1 Minds as constructs	131	(1)
10.2 Davidson and the propositional attitudes	132	(1)
10.3 Semantic opacity	133	(1)
10.4 Radical interpretation: background issues	134	(3)
10.5 T-theories	137	(1)
10.6 From T-theories to I-theories	138	(2)
10.7 Decision theory	140	(1)
10.8 Charity	141	(1)
10.9 Indeterminacy	142	(1)
10.10 The omniscient interpreter	143	(1)
10.11 Interpretation and measurement	144	(2)
10.12 Structure and content	146	(2)
10.13 Mental causation and the propositional attitudes	148	(3)
10.14 An apparent regress	151	(2)
Suggested reading	153	(2)
11The intentional stance	155	(15)
11.1 From Davidson to Dennett	155	(1)
11.2 Taking a stance	155	(2)
11.3 From intentional stance to design stance	157	(1)
11.4 From design stance to physical stance	158	(1)
11.5 The emerging picture	159	(1)
11.6 Thought and language	160	(2)
11.7 Kinds of mind	162	(2)
11.8 Consciousness	164	(2)
11.9 Searle's objection	166	(2)
Suggested reading	168	(2)
12 Eliminativism	170	(7)
12.1 From instrumentalism to eliminativism	170	(1)
12.2 Theories and theory reduction	171	(1)
12.3 Stich's argument	172	(2)
12.4 Is eliminativism self-refuting?	174	(2)
Suggested reading	176	(1)
13 Property dualism	177	(13)
13.1 From substances to properties	177	(1)
13.2 Appearance and reality	178	(1)
13.3 Mental causation	179	(2)
13.4 Mental-material supervenience	181	(1)
13.5 Causal relevance	182	(2)
13.6 The causal relevance of mental properties	184	(2)
13.7 The upshot	186	(2)
13.8 Conclusion	188	(1)
Suggested reading	188	(2)
14 Mind and metaphysics	190	(25)
14.1 The status of philosophies of mind	190	(1)
14.2 Metaphysical preliminaries	191	(1)
14.3 Objects	192	(1)
14.4 Universals	193	(1)
14.5 Properties as particularized ways	194	(3)
14.6 The dual nature of properties	197	(4)
14.7 Manifestations of dispositions	201	(1)
14.8 Causality and dispositionality	202	(2)
14.9 Complex objects	204	(3)
14.10 Emergence	207	(1)
14.11 Levels of being	208	(1)
14.12 Predicates and properties	209	(1)
14.13 Properties, realism, and antirealism	210	(2)
Suggested reading	212	(3)
15 The mind's place in nature	215	(29)
15.1 Applied metaphysics	215	(1)
15.2 Multiple realizability	216	(2)
15.3 An alternative approach	218	(2)
15.4 Higher-level properties	220	(1)
15.5 Causality and ceteris paribus laws	221	(1)
15.6 Levels of reality versus levels of description	222	(1)
15.7 Zombies	222	(2)
15.8 Qualities of conscious experience	224	(2)
15.9 Neutral monism	226	(2)
15.10 'Privileged access'	228	(2)
15.11 Imagery	230	(2)
15.12 Putting imagery to work	232	(1)
15.13 Intentionality	233	(4)
15.14 Functionalism adieu	237	(1)
15.15 Denouement	238	(3)
15.16 Concluding note	241	(1)
Suggested reading	242	(2)
Bibliography	244	(11)
Index	255