Since the dawn of history philosophers have speculated about the nature of mind. What kind of thing is the mind? How do mental processes fit with the rest of the natural order? Is the mind something different and separate from the body? What is distinctive of the various kinds of mental phenomena such as thinking, feeling, sensing, and consciousness? Addressing these and related problems, this anthology provides a framework for understanding mental functioning. The readings are grouped into five major sections: General Problems about Mind, Self and Other, Mind and Body, The Nature of Mind, and Psychological Explanation. Each section begins with an introduction that discusses the issues and problems that arise in the various selections and shows how each author approaches them. In addition, a general introduction gives a concise overview of the subject and provides a historical context for the readings. Representative works of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century thinkers
such as Descartes, Locke, and Reid provide a solid foundation for the copious selections from contemporary philosophers that follow, among them articles by Fodor, Dennett, Nagel, Putnam, Davidson, Searle, Ryle, Strawson, Burge, Chisholm, Rorty, and Sellars. With sixty-two selections in all, The Nature of Mind is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in this central philosophical topic.
Industry Reviews
"Good text; useful for beginning to advanced level philosophy of mind courses. There is enough material to pick and choose appropriate level of reading material. All the classics are contained herein. And Rosenthal's introduction to each section is illuminating."--Lisbeth Duncan LaCoste, University of Washington
"Excellent set of readings for anyone in Psychology, Education, Psychiatry, and Sociology. Especially good treatment of history and current status of human development issues."--Keith Barton, University of California at Davis
"Rosenthal's anthology is the best and most comprehensive as well as the most updated anthology in the field."--Murat Aydede, University of Chicago
"Very nicely presents the immensely complex nature of mind from different perspectives including psychophysical, theoretical, cognitive, and computational."--C.H. Chen, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
"The text is excellent with a veritable wealth of representative up-to-date materials and very suitable for Philosophy of Mind courses."--Stanely Riukas, West Chester University
"Excellent selection of articles, both in coverage of topics and in providing essential background for contemporary discussion."--J.D. Atlas, University of California, Los Angeles
"Very good contemporary selection for moderately advanced students. Excellent summary chapter introductions and full bibliographical references."--James Robertson, Cogswell College
"A wealth of material with an excellent balance of traditional readings on the mind-body problem, contemporary debates in cognitive science, and related issues such as consciousness and the self....A first-rate collection!"--Lilly-Marlene Russow, Purdue University
"A comprehensive and very useful collection."--G. Thomson, University of Wisconsin
"It will be hard for anyone teaching an upper division undergraduate or graduate course in Philosophy of Mind not to consider [this] plump anthology as a possible text."--Keith Gunderson, University of Minnesota
"A unique and valuable collection of classical and contemporary works in the philosophy of mind....Provides an essential roadmap to those teaching in the Philosophy of Mind."--Robert Van Gulick, Syracuse University
"Good collection: contains the central articles for classic topics."--LaVerne Shelton, University of Wisconsin
"Splendid, well balanced collections."--Radu Bogdan, Tulane University
"An amazing book! Everything you have wanted to known about philosophy of mind."--Norman Melchert, Lehigh University
"[A] splendidly compendious collection....Certainly anyone who read, and took in, all the material in this book would be in a very strong position indeed if confronted with an undergraduate Finals paper on philosophy of mind....This is by any standard a splendidly edited and presented collection of very imprtant work. It is a book to treasure; to contemplate; to refer to casually at dinner parties; and even, when you're feeling up to it, to
read."--Philosophy Now
"This is absolutely the best collection available in the philosophy of the mind. Rosenthal's introductions are extremely useful."--Joseph J. Lynch, California Polytechnic State University
"Excellent Collection!!"--William J. Rapaport, Suny Buffalo
