Contemporary Issues in the Philosophy of Mind

What is the mind? How does it relate to the body and the world? What is consciousness? What is experience? How free are we? Do we have special insights into ourselves? These perennial questions are at the forefront of the philosophical concerns today. Much of the most exciting and innovative work in philosophy at the present time is being done in the philosophy of mind. The best of this work is represented in this collection, based on the Royal Institute of Philosophy’s annual lecture series for 1996/7. It brings together leading figures in the area from Britain and the US, who lay out their thoughts on key issues in an accessible way. The book will be of great interest both to those working in the field and to those keen to discover just where philosophy and the philosophy of mind is moving at the end of the twentieth century.

• An accessible and up-to-date examination of one of the most lively areas in modern philosophy • Contributors include some star international names

Preface; Introduction Anthony O’Hear; 1. The mind Ted Honderich; 2. The mind-body problem: taking stock after 50 years Jaegwoon Kim; 3. Folk psychology and mental simulation Martin Davies; 4. Closing the explanatory gap Ned Block; 5. Mind, world and value Michael Morris; 6. Self-knowledge, a priori knowledge and the cognitive structure of the mind Quassim Cassam; 7. Dualism in action theory Jennifer Hornsby; 8. Perceptual knowledge Bill Brewer; 9. Understanding other minds from inside Jane Heal; 10. Setting things before the mind Michael Martin; 11. Consciousness and content Naomi Eilan; 12. Free will Christopher Peacocke; 13. Wittgenstein and self-knowledge Crispin Wright; 14. Embodiment and the philosophy of mind Andy Clark; 15. Other perspectives and the first person John Campbell; 16. Externalism and norms Cynthia McDonald; 17. Intentionality and interpretation Gregory McCulloch; 18. Intentionality as the mark of the mental Tim Crane; 19. Experience Brian O’Shaughnessy; Bibliography; Index.