An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind - Keith T. Maslin

An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind provides a livelyand accessible introduction to all the main themes and argumentscurrently being debated in this area. The book examines andcriticizes four major theories of mind: Dualism, Mind/BrainIdentity, Behaviourism and Functionalism.

It argues that while consciousness and our mental lives dependupon physical processes in the brain, they are not reducible tothose processes. The differences between mental and physicalstates, mind/body causality, the problem of other minds, andpersonal identity are also explored in full.

The second edition of this well respected text has been revisedto include a new chapter which explores Aristotle'sphilosophy of psychology and mind. It also includes new material onthe Turing test and has been expanded and updated throughout.

The book is designed to help students think for themselves aboutall the issues identified above, and contains exercises throughoutthe text to stimulate and challenge the reader. Objectives areclearly set out at the start of every chapter to enable students tocheck their understanding as they proceed, and each chapter endswith questions to consider. There are discussions of the most citedcontemporary writers in the field, so that the reader can gain arounded perspective of the debates.