Philosophy of Mind : A Beginner's Guide

, by Ravenscroft, Ian

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ISBN: 9780199252541 | 0199252548
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 4/28/2005

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Designed specifically for students with no background knowledge in the subject, this accessible introduction covers all of the basic concepts and major theories in the philosophy of mind. Topics discussed include dualism, behaviorism, the identity theory, functionalism, the computational theory of mind, connectionism, physicalism, mental causation, and consciousness. The text is enhanced by chapter summaries, a glossary, suggestions for further reading, and self-assessment questions.

Acknowledgements

Introduction

(8)

Part 1 What are mental states?

1 Dualism

(16)

1.1 Substance dualism

(1)

1.2 Arguments in favor of substance dualism

(5)

1.3 Arguments against substance dualism

(2)

1.4 Property dualism

(2)

1.5 Assessing epiphenomenalism

(2)

1.6 Conclusion

(3)

2 Behaviorism

(14)

2.1 Philosophical behaviorism

(1)

2.2 Arguments in favor of philosophical behaviorism

(4)

2.3 Arguments against philosophical behaviorism

(3)

2.4 What is methodological behaviorism?

(1)

2.5 Arguments for methodological behaviorism

(1)

2.6 Arguments against methodological behaviorism

(4)

3 The identity theory

(11)

3.1 More about the identity theory

(2)

3.2 Arguments in favor of the identity theory

(2)

3.3 Evidence from deficit studies

(1)

3.4 Arguments against the identity theory

(3)

3.5 Reductive and nonreductive physicalism

(1)

3.6 Conclusion

(2)

4 Functionalism

(14)

4.1 Introducing functionalism

(3)

4.2 Functionalism and brain states

(2)

4.3 Functionalism and the six features of mental states

(2)

4.4 Two famous arguments against functionalism

(5)

4.5 Conclusion

(2)

5 Eliminativism and fictionalism

(17)

5.1 From theory to reality

(1)

5.2 Introducing eliminativism

(2)

5.3 Eliminativism about mental states

(4)

5.4 Anti-eliminativist arguments

(1)

5.5 Fictionalism

(3)

5.6 Conclusion

(6)

Part 2 Mind as machine

6 The computational theory of mind

(16)

6.1 Syntax and semantics

(2)

6.2 What's a computer?

(1)

6.3 Turing machines

(3)

6.4 The computational theory of mind

(2)

6.5 The language of thought

(2)

6.6 The Chinese room

(3)

6.7 Conclusion

(3)

7 Connectionism

(20)

7.1 What connectionist networks are like

(4)

7.2 Some important properties of connectionist networks

101

(3)

7.3 Connectionism and the mind

104

(3)

7.4 Rationality, language, systematicity

107

(5)

7.5 Conclusion

112

(5)

Part 3 Mind in a physical world

8 Physicalism and supervenience

117

(8)

8.1 Physical properties

118

(1)

8.2 Introducing the supervenience approach to physicalism

118

(2)

8.3 Refining the supervenience approach to physicalism

120

(2)

8.4 A problem for the supervenience approach to physicalism?

122

(3)

9 Content

125

(19)

9.1 The resemblance theory

126

(1)

9.2 The causal theory

127

(3)

9.3 The teleological theory

130

(2)

9.4 Fodor's theory

132

(3)

9.5 Functional role theory

135

(4)

9.6 Wide or narrow?

139

(5)

10 Mental causation

144

(15)

10.1 The problem of causal exclusion

145

(2)

10.2 Responding to the problem of causal exclusion

147

(3)

10.3 The causal efficacy of content

150

(2)

10.4 Responding to the problem of the causal efficacy of content

152

(7)

Part 4 Consciousness

11 Varieties of consciousness

159

(12)

11.1 Phenomenal consciousness

159

(3)

11.2 Access consciousness

162

(2)

11.3 Is access a function of phenomenal consciousness?

164

(2)

11.4 Avoiding confusion

166

(2)

11.5 Other kinds of consciousness

168

(3)

12 Phenomenal consciousness

171

(19)

12.1 The knowledge argument

171

(3)

12.2 Responding to the knowledge argument

174

(6)

12.3 The explanatory gap

180

(3)

12.4 Can the explanatory gap be filled?

183

(2)

12.5 Functionalism and phenomenal consciousness

185

(2)

12.6 Concluding remarks

187

(3)

Appendix: Paper writing tips

190

(2)

Glossary

192

(4)

Some useful resources

196

(3)

References

199

(5)

Index

204

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Philosophy of Mind : A Beginner's Guide

Summary

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Table of Contents

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