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What is Philosophy (Polity)
What is Philosophy of Mind?
We all have minds, but what exactly is a mind? Is your mind the same thing as your brain? How does what’s happening in your mind cause your behaviour? Can you know what’s going on in other people’s minds? Can you even be sure what’s going on in your own? Are babies conscious? How about cats? Or self-driving cars? Philosophy of mind grapples with questions like these, exploring who we are and how we fit into the world. In this student-friendly guide, McClelland introduces the key ideas in philosophy of mind, showing why they matter and how philosophers have tried to answer them. He covers the major historical moments in philosophy of mind, from Descartes and his troubles with immaterial souls up to today’s ‘consciousness wars’. Additionally, he examines the implications that philosophy of mind has for psychology, artificial intelligence and even particle physics. McClelland lays out the centuries-long dialogue between philosophy and science, presenting a uniquely grounded, practical picture of the field for students. Rich with real-world examples and written for the absolute beginner, What is Philosophy of Mind? gives students the tools to delve deeper into this dynamic field of philosophy.
- GenresPhilosophy
144 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 19, 2024
"The Mind Is An Enchanting Thing
is an enchanted thing
like the glaze on a
katydid-wing
subdivided by sun
till the nettings are legion.
Like Gieseking playing Scarlatti;"
The American poet Marianne Moore captured the fascination and mystery of the mind in her 1943 poem, "The Mind is an Enchanting Thing"; and her poem might serve as an introduction to the ways philosophers, scientists, and lay individuals, as well as poets have thought about the mind. While Tom McClelland's new book, "What is Philosophy of Mind" (2021) does not discuss poetry, it explores other ways in which the mind continues to fascinate. McClelland is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. His short book guides helps readers to explore questions about the mind, about the relationship of philosophical to scientific study of mind, and about the nature and value of philosophy,
The book is clearly and succinctly written for the benefit of non-specialists, including students and those in the broader public with philosophical interests. An endearing feature of the book is the author's personalization of issues through the use of a soccer player named Mindy. During the closing moments of a soccer match, Mindy is about to take a penalty kick which will win the game if successful. McClelland sets out aspects of Mindy'a mental responses as she prepares for and executes her kick, including her desire to score, her memory of the goalkeeper's likely defense, her intention on how to aim her kick, her belief on how the goalkeeper will respond, her feeling of elation when the kick succeeds, and the nagging pain in the ankle which Mindy ignores under the pressure-filled moment of the kick. Throughout the book, McClelland returns to Mindy to illustrate various ways of understanding her responses and understanding the mind.
In his opening chapter, McClelland discusses the difficulties in pinning down the nature of mind and, more broadly understanding the nature of philosophy. McClelland description of philosophy is worth quoting. It is the "discipline that asks the big questions about life, the universe and everything. It asks metaphysical questions about the nature of reality, epistemological questions about our knoweldge of reality, and normative questions about the value of things in reality. It grapples with these questions by challenging our most basic assumptions, analysing our most foundational concepts and constructing a clear and coherent framework for thinking about the world." The definition takes a commendably broad, ambitious view of the nature of philosophy.
Psychology, neurology, and computer science have made their own crucial contributions to understanding the mind. McClelland wants to show, however, that the approaches of these sciences do not eliminate the need for philosophical reflection about the mind and its nature. McClelland finds three "big questions" that philosophers have tried to answer about the nature of the mind: 1. What is the relationship between mind and matter? 2. How do we acquire knowledge about our own mind and the minds of others? 3. What sort of things have minds and what kind of minds do they have?
In successive chapters of the book, McClelland develops historically the answer philosophers have given to these questions. Each chapter beins with an exposition of the answer together with a discussion of the considerations that led to the answer and made it appealing. McClelland works towards assessing the answers each approach gives to the three big questions, explaining the insights of each answer and the ways in which it has been found wanting. He shows how the difficulties of one approach lead to the answers of another.
McClelland begins his analysis with the dualism between mind and body propounded by Descartes. He follows this with an exploration of two materialistic theories of the mind, known as behaviorism and as the identity theory. McClelland then gives a detailed, and in many respects sympathetic treatment of a functionalist treatment of the mind and its relationship to the computer revolution. He shows a number of ways in which functionalism may offer a materialistically based understanding of mind without the deficiencies of earlier forms of materialism.
Following the discussion of dualism, materialism, and functionalism, McClelland doubles back to study the nature of consciousness itself which seems to be left hanging by each of the three theories. Among other possibilities, McClelland sketches a pansychist, idealistically influenced theory of mind. Panpsychism has some adherents among contemporary philosophers. McClelland also cautiously suggests that the approaches most philosophers take to the philosophy of mind focuses too strongly on the phenomenon of consciousness while thinking more intently about matter and its properties, known and unknown, might prove to be a more successful way of understanding.
The final chapter of the book offers suggestions on how philosophy and the sciences might better work together in understanding the nature of mind while suggesting that the large conceptual questions and questions of meaning studied by philosophy are unlikely to go away.
While perhaps not having the enchantment of Marianne Moore's poem or of her evocative figure of "Gieseking playing Scarlatti", McClelland's book offers a good overview to the philosophy of mind and to the value of philosophical thinking about the mind. Each chapter of the book concludes with a series of important definitions and with a short list of suggestions for further reading. The book is part of a series published by Polity titled "What is Philosophy" which Polity describes as "[s]parkling short introductions to the key topics in philosophy, written with zero jargon by leading philosophers, ideal for the beginning-level student." Polity kindly sent me a copy of "What is Philosophy of Mind?" to review.
Robin Friedman
is an enchanted thing
like the glaze on a
katydid-wing
subdivided by sun
till the nettings are legion.
Like Gieseking playing Scarlatti;"
The American poet Marianne Moore captured the fascination and mystery of the mind in her 1943 poem, "The Mind is an Enchanting Thing"; and her poem might serve as an introduction to the ways philosophers, scientists, and lay individuals, as well as poets have thought about the mind. While Tom McClelland's new book, "What is Philosophy of Mind" (2021) does not discuss poetry, it explores other ways in which the mind continues to fascinate. McClelland is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. His short book guides helps readers to explore questions about the mind, about the relationship of philosophical to scientific study of mind, and about the nature and value of philosophy,
The book is clearly and succinctly written for the benefit of non-specialists, including students and those in the broader public with philosophical interests. An endearing feature of the book is the author's personalization of issues through the use of a soccer player named Mindy. During the closing moments of a soccer match, Mindy is about to take a penalty kick which will win the game if successful. McClelland sets out aspects of Mindy'a mental responses as she prepares for and executes her kick, including her desire to score, her memory of the goalkeeper's likely defense, her intention on how to aim her kick, her belief on how the goalkeeper will respond, her feeling of elation when the kick succeeds, and the nagging pain in the ankle which Mindy ignores under the pressure-filled moment of the kick. Throughout the book, McClelland returns to Mindy to illustrate various ways of understanding her responses and understanding the mind.
In his opening chapter, McClelland discusses the difficulties in pinning down the nature of mind and, more broadly understanding the nature of philosophy. McClelland description of philosophy is worth quoting. It is the "discipline that asks the big questions about life, the universe and everything. It asks metaphysical questions about the nature of reality, epistemological questions about our knoweldge of reality, and normative questions about the value of things in reality. It grapples with these questions by challenging our most basic assumptions, analysing our most foundational concepts and constructing a clear and coherent framework for thinking about the world." The definition takes a commendably broad, ambitious view of the nature of philosophy.
Psychology, neurology, and computer science have made their own crucial contributions to understanding the mind. McClelland wants to show, however, that the approaches of these sciences do not eliminate the need for philosophical reflection about the mind and its nature. McClelland finds three "big questions" that philosophers have tried to answer about the nature of the mind: 1. What is the relationship between mind and matter? 2. How do we acquire knowledge about our own mind and the minds of others? 3. What sort of things have minds and what kind of minds do they have?
In successive chapters of the book, McClelland develops historically the answer philosophers have given to these questions. Each chapter beins with an exposition of the answer together with a discussion of the considerations that led to the answer and made it appealing. McClelland works towards assessing the answers each approach gives to the three big questions, explaining the insights of each answer and the ways in which it has been found wanting. He shows how the difficulties of one approach lead to the answers of another.
McClelland begins his analysis with the dualism between mind and body propounded by Descartes. He follows this with an exploration of two materialistic theories of the mind, known as behaviorism and as the identity theory. McClelland then gives a detailed, and in many respects sympathetic treatment of a functionalist treatment of the mind and its relationship to the computer revolution. He shows a number of ways in which functionalism may offer a materialistically based understanding of mind without the deficiencies of earlier forms of materialism.
Following the discussion of dualism, materialism, and functionalism, McClelland doubles back to study the nature of consciousness itself which seems to be left hanging by each of the three theories. Among other possibilities, McClelland sketches a pansychist, idealistically influenced theory of mind. Panpsychism has some adherents among contemporary philosophers. McClelland also cautiously suggests that the approaches most philosophers take to the philosophy of mind focuses too strongly on the phenomenon of consciousness while thinking more intently about matter and its properties, known and unknown, might prove to be a more successful way of understanding.
The final chapter of the book offers suggestions on how philosophy and the sciences might better work together in understanding the nature of mind while suggesting that the large conceptual questions and questions of meaning studied by philosophy are unlikely to go away.
While perhaps not having the enchantment of Marianne Moore's poem or of her evocative figure of "Gieseking playing Scarlatti", McClelland's book offers a good overview to the philosophy of mind and to the value of philosophical thinking about the mind. Each chapter of the book concludes with a series of important definitions and with a short list of suggestions for further reading. The book is part of a series published by Polity titled "What is Philosophy" which Polity describes as "[s]parkling short introductions to the key topics in philosophy, written with zero jargon by leading philosophers, ideal for the beginning-level student." Polity kindly sent me a copy of "What is Philosophy of Mind?" to review.
Robin Friedman
October 12, 2022
XXXXX
A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF THE MIND
XXXXX
"In one sense, the overview of philosophy of mind that I will offer won't be especially opinionated. I'll be presenting mainstream views and keeping some of my more eccentric opinions to myself.
But in another sense, the overview I offer will inevitably be opinionated. The philosophy of mind is a big field, so my selection of which ideas to discuss in this short book reflects my opinions on what's most important in the discipline."
The above quotation (in italics) comes from this slim but informative book by Tom McClelland. He is a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. (McClelland also has an affinity for "Yorkshire Tea.")
So, what is philosophy? A simple definition is that it's the systemized study of fundamental or "big" questions.
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind and its relationship with the body.
McClelland focuses his book on three big questions:
(1) The mind and matter question: what is the relationship between mind and matter?
(2) The knowledge question: how do we acquire knowledge of our own minds and the minds of others?
(3) The distribution question: which things have minds and what kind of mind do they have?
McClelland examines the main theories of the mental in historical order, starting in the seventeenth century and continues right up to contemporary debates in the field. He does a good job of of being concise and to the point.
The penultimate chapter of this book is my favorite. It deals with the problem of consciousness (awareness of internal and external existence). As you probably know, despite millennia of analysis by philosophers and scientists, consciousness remains puzzling and controversial.
Get ready for a vocabulary workout as you read this book. To help you along the way, the author presents, at the end of each chapter, definitions of key concepts. Also, at the end of each chapter is a list of references and further reading material.
Finally, I did find one error in this book. The author tells us that "Nobody has ever seen a black hole." Not true. Many people (including myself) have seen one since NASA released an actual picture of one in April 2019.
In conclusion, this is a comprehensive and thoroughly informed introduction to the major topics in contemporary philosophy of mind. This book's publisher calls this "the most student-friendly short introduction to philosophy of mind available." I absolutely agree and you don't have to be a student (like me) to read and enjoy it!!
XXXXX
(2021; acknowledgements; 6 chapters; main narrative 145 pages; index)
XXXXX
A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF THE MIND
XXXXX
"In one sense, the overview of philosophy of mind that I will offer won't be especially opinionated. I'll be presenting mainstream views and keeping some of my more eccentric opinions to myself.
But in another sense, the overview I offer will inevitably be opinionated. The philosophy of mind is a big field, so my selection of which ideas to discuss in this short book reflects my opinions on what's most important in the discipline."
The above quotation (in italics) comes from this slim but informative book by Tom McClelland. He is a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. (McClelland also has an affinity for "Yorkshire Tea.")
So, what is philosophy? A simple definition is that it's the systemized study of fundamental or "big" questions.
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind and its relationship with the body.
McClelland focuses his book on three big questions:
(1) The mind and matter question: what is the relationship between mind and matter?
(2) The knowledge question: how do we acquire knowledge of our own minds and the minds of others?
(3) The distribution question: which things have minds and what kind of mind do they have?
McClelland examines the main theories of the mental in historical order, starting in the seventeenth century and continues right up to contemporary debates in the field. He does a good job of of being concise and to the point.
The penultimate chapter of this book is my favorite. It deals with the problem of consciousness (awareness of internal and external existence). As you probably know, despite millennia of analysis by philosophers and scientists, consciousness remains puzzling and controversial.
Get ready for a vocabulary workout as you read this book. To help you along the way, the author presents, at the end of each chapter, definitions of key concepts. Also, at the end of each chapter is a list of references and further reading material.
Finally, I did find one error in this book. The author tells us that "Nobody has ever seen a black hole." Not true. Many people (including myself) have seen one since NASA released an actual picture of one in April 2019.
In conclusion, this is a comprehensive and thoroughly informed introduction to the major topics in contemporary philosophy of mind. This book's publisher calls this "the most student-friendly short introduction to philosophy of mind available." I absolutely agree and you don't have to be a student (like me) to read and enjoy it!!
XXXXX
(2021; acknowledgements; 6 chapters; main narrative 145 pages; index)
XXXXX
December 7, 2021
One of the clearest introductions to Philosophy of Mind I have read; thorough, insightful and engaging throughout.
December 25, 2024
My brain hurts
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews