Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction

The book is intended as a reader-friendly introduction to issues in the philosophy of mind, including mental–physical causal interaction, computational models of thought, the relation minds bear to brains, and assorted -isms: behaviorism, dualism, eliminativism, emergentism, functionalism, materialism, neutral monism, and panpsychism. The Fourth Edition reintroduces a chapter on Donald Davidson and a discussion of ‘Non-Cartesian Dualism’, along with a wholly new chapter on emergence and panpsychism. A concluding chapter draws together material in earlier chapters and offers what the author regards as a plausible account of the mind’s place in nature. Suggested readings at the conclusion of each chapter have been updated, with a focus on accessible, non-technical material.

Key Features of the Fourth Edition

• Includes a new chapter, ''Emergence and Panpsychism'' (Chapter 13), reflecting growing interest in these areas
• Reintroduces and updates a chapter on Donald Davidson, ''Radical Interpretation'' (Chapter 8), which was excised from the previous edition
• Updates ''Descartes'' Legacy'' (Chapter 3) to include a discussion of E. J. Lowe''s arresting ''Non-Cartesian Dualism'', also removed from the previous edition
• Includes a highly revised final chapter, which draws together much of the previous material and sketches a plausible account of the mind’s place in nature
• Updated ''Suggested Reading'' lists at the end of each chapter