Philosophy of mind

The philosophy of mind has always been a staple of the philosophy curriculum. But it has never held a more important place than it does today, with both traditional problems and new topics often sparked by the implications of modern psychology, cognitive science, and computer science. In this concise but comprehensive survey, Jaegwon Kim explores, maps, and interprets this difficult terrain. Designed as a textbook for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, Philosophy of Mind succeeds brilliantly on these terms. But it also manages to offer riches to experienced philosophers while remaining accessible to readers new to philosophy. Focusing on the traditional mind/body problem, Kim canvasses the traditional attempts to explain the mind as soul, as certain forms of behavior, as brain, or as a type of computer as well as more recent complex attempts to meet objections raised by these accounts. The author also includes extensive coverage of the issues surrounding content and consciousness. Throughout, Kim allows readers to come to their own terms with these views. At the same time, the author’s own emerging views are on display and serve to advance the discussion. Readers of Kim’s previous work will especially welcome this aspect of the text. Comprehensive, clear, and fair, Philosophy of Mind is a model of philosophical exposition. It is a major contribution to the study and teaching of the philosophy of mind.
1. Introduction 2. Mind as Behavior: Behaviorism 3. Mind as the Brain: The Mind-Brain Identity Theory 4. Mind as a Computer: Machine Functionalism 5. Mind as a Causal Structure: Causal-Theoretical Functionalism 6. Mental Causation 7. Consciousness 8. Mental Content 9. Reductive and Nonreductive Physicalism