Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy Series

Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction is a comprehensive and accessible survey of main themes, positions and debates in philosophy of mind. John Heil introduces and discusses the major topics in succinct, user-friendly, self-contained chapters:

* Cartesian dualism
* Descartes's legacy
* non-Cartesian dualism
* behaviorism
* the identity theory
* functionalism
* the representational theory of mind
* qualia
* radical interpretation
* the intentional stance
* eliminativism
* property dualism
* mind and metaphysics
* the mind's place in nature

This revised and updated edition includes expanded chapters on eliminativism, qualia, and the representational theory of mind, and an entirely new chapter on property dualism. There are annotated suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, updated to include recent material and internet resources.

Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction

by John Heil

Published 1 January 1998

This comprehensive textbook, written by a leading author in the field, provides a survey of mainstream conceptions of the nature of mind accessible to readers with little or no background in philosophy. Included are the dualist, behaviourist, and functionalist accounts of the nature of mind, along with a critical assessment of recent trends in the subject. The problem of consciousness, widely thought to be the chief roadblock to our understanding of the mind, is addressed throughout the book and there is also material to interest those with a professional interest in the topic - philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists - as well as the general reader. Unique features of Philosophy of Mind:
* provides a comprehensive survey of basic concepts and major theories
* contains many lucid examples to support ideas
* cites key literature in annotated suggested reading and a full bibliography
* contains a full index including the location of key terms and concepts.