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Published: 21st January 1993
ISBN: 9780198239291
Number Of Pages: 352
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Published: 20th April 1995Common sense and philosophical tradition agree that mind makes a difference. What we do depends not only on how our bodies are put together, but also on what we think. Explaining how mind can make a difference has proved challenging, however. Some have urged that the project faces an insurmountable dilemma: either we concede that mentalistic explanations of behavior have only a pragmatic standing or we abandon our conception of the physical domain as causally autonomous. Although each option has its advocates, most theorists have sought a middle way that accommodates both the common-sense view of mind and the metaphysical conviction about the physical world. This volume presents a collection of new, specially written essays by a diverse group of philosophers, each of whom is widely known for defending a particular conception of minds and their place in nature. Contributors include Robert Audi, Lynne Rudder Baker, Tyler Burge, Donald Davidson, Fred Dretske, Ted Honderich, Jennifer Hornsby, Frank Jackson, Jaegwon Kim, Brian P. McLaughlin, Ruth Garrett Millikan, H. W. Noonan, Philip Pettit, Ernest Sosa, and Robert Van Gulick.
`since its contributors are of the leading figures who deal with these issues, anyone interested in mental causation may benefit a lot from reading it.' Amir Horowitz, Philosophia 'The essays are largely nontechnical and make an important contribution to current work in the philosophy of mind. They can benefit the work of cognitive psychologists, philosophers, and other theorists working on topics in philosophical psychology.' P.K. Moser, Loyola University of Chicago, Choice, Sep '93 'The volume presents a quite encompassing overview on the state of the debate and is to be recommended to everyone interested in the topic.' Martin Rechenauer, Erkenntnis 41: 1994 `Excellent collection of articles.' Proto Soziologie `A welcome collection of sixteen previously unpublished papers that explore the many dimensions of the questions whether, and if so how, mind matters ... Taken together, the papers represent an invigorating diversity of vantage point and assumption. They effectively display the intricacy of the interconnections amongst topics that are mishandled if taken as insulated from one another.' Philosophical Psychology `A welcome collection of sixteen previously unpublished papers that explore the many dimensions of the questions whether, and if so how, mind matters ... Taken together, the papers represent an invigorating diversity of vantage point and assumption. They effectively display the intricacy of the interconnections amongst topics that are mishandled if taken as insulated from one another.' Philosophical Psychology `One of the merits of a book such as Mental Causation for a psychologist ... is that it can sharpen one's appreciation of the ambiguities and hidden asumptions in the psychological investigation of mind and behavior ... this volume contains strong defenses of the legitimacy of mentalistic explanations of behavior in scientific psychology.' Peter A. White, University of Wales College of Cardiff `a welcome collection of sixteen previously unpublished papers that explore the many dimensions of the questions whether, and if so how, mind matters ... the papers represent an invigorating diversity of vantage point and assumption. They effectively display the intricacy of the interconnections amongst topics that are mishandled if taken as insulated from one another.' John Bricke, University of Kansas
| Preface | p. iii |
| Notes On Contributors | p. ix |
| Davidson, Anomalous Monism, and Mental Causation | p. 1 |
| Thinking Causes | p. 3 |
| Can Supervenience and 'Non-Strict Laws'Save Anomalous Monism? | p. 19 |
| On Davidson's Response to the Chargeof Epiphenomenalism | p. 27 |
| Davidson's Thinking Causes ERNEST SOSA | p. 41 |
| Causation and Explanation | p. 51 |
| Mental Causation: Sustaining and Dynamic | p. 53 |
| Metaphysics and Mental Causation | p. 75 |
| Mind--Body Causation and Explanatory Practice | p. 97 |
| Mental Events as Structuring Causes of Behaviour | p. 121 |
| The Union Theory and Anti-Individualism | p. 137 |
| Agency and Causal Explanation | p. 161 |
| The Non-Reductivist's Troubles with Mental Causation | p. 189 |
| Explanation in Biopsychology | p. 211 |
| Who's in Charge Here? And Who's Doing All the Work? | p. 233 |
| Content | p. 257 |
| Some Content is Narrow | p. 281 |
| Object-Dependent Thoughts A Case of Superficial Necessity but Deep Contingency? | p. 283 |
| Abilities, Concepts, and Externalism | p. 309 |
| Index | p. 339 |
| Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780198239291
ISBN-10: 0198239297
Audience:
Professional
Format:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 352
Published: 21st January 1993
Country of Publication: GB
Dimensions (cm): 21.59 x 13.97
x 2.39
Weight (kg): 0.58
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