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Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction
Philosophy of An Introduction is a lively and accessible introduction to one of philosophy's most active and important areas of research.
- GenresPhilosophy
280 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 1993
About the author
George Graham
89 books8 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Dr Graham is Professor of Philosophy at Georgia State University. He specializes in philosophy of mind, philosophical psychopathology (philosophy and psychiatry), and cognitive science.
View his academic profile at http://philosophy.gsu.edu/profile/geo...
Dr Graham is Professor of Philosophy at Georgia State University. He specializes in philosophy of mind, philosophical psychopathology (philosophy and psychiatry), and cognitive science.
View his academic profile at http://philosophy.gsu.edu/profile/geo...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 14, 2008
April 19, 2008: As an introduction to philosophy of mind, this book was well below average. Graham does not seem equipped to discuss the general arguments or positions in the field.
However, Graham does have a particular specialty--philosophy of psychiatry, and when he covers material in this area, there are some gems.
All in all, not worth your while.
April 4, 2009: The second edition is significantly better than the first edition. One virtue of this book is that it deals with topics omitted from other introductions to the philosophy of mind.
However, Graham does have a particular specialty--philosophy of psychiatry, and when he covers material in this area, there are some gems.
All in all, not worth your while.
April 4, 2009: The second edition is significantly better than the first edition. One virtue of this book is that it deals with topics omitted from other introductions to the philosophy of mind.
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May 30, 2023a very accessible introduction to those new to philosophy of mind! wish i had found this before and not after 2 years of studying it but also unsure how satisfactory this actually is as an introductory text. undoubtedly, a lovely intro to writing philosophy in regards to funky examples, clarity, and argument organisation. much to learn wrong graham's style.
since my edition is from 1993, there is naturally an array of edits i would like to see in a comprehensive/ accurate 2023 introductory text. my main quarrels are with the half-hearted not-quite two pages on gender and (a more general with modern philosophy) frustration of leaning on neuroscience without working/ researching/ referencing in a scientifically appropriate manner. especially regarding free will and consciousness, there is some exciting materialist arguments that are NOT neural reductionism/ deterministic, e.g., from emergence and different levels of implementation (allowing for interaction between mental states and brain processes BOTH WAYS; Gazzaniga et al., 2014) that would be great to see considered.
further, some discussion of contextualism, Putman's Twin Earth, OFC THE BRAIN IN THE VAT, PLATO & Aristotle, a brief outline of how Libet's experiment is NOT necessarily evidence for determinism, and influential non-Western theories of mind (especially since there is also a discussion of Christianity/ God which i would arguably cut, or elaborate with discussion of other influential religions and relevant continental philosophers). the animal liberation bit seemed very up-to-date with trends in the 90s/ 2000s and is a fun excursion for newcomers but if included i would extend it to the abortion debate (not ethically but in terms of development of 'consciousness' etc.)
since my edition is from 1993, there is naturally an array of edits i would like to see in a comprehensive/ accurate 2023 introductory text. my main quarrels are with the half-hearted not-quite two pages on gender and (a more general with modern philosophy) frustration of leaning on neuroscience without working/ researching/ referencing in a scientifically appropriate manner. especially regarding free will and consciousness, there is some exciting materialist arguments that are NOT neural reductionism/ deterministic, e.g., from emergence and different levels of implementation (allowing for interaction between mental states and brain processes BOTH WAYS; Gazzaniga et al., 2014) that would be great to see considered.
further, some discussion of contextualism, Putman's Twin Earth, OFC THE BRAIN IN THE VAT, PLATO & Aristotle, a brief outline of how Libet's experiment is NOT necessarily evidence for determinism, and influential non-Western theories of mind (especially since there is also a discussion of Christianity/ God which i would arguably cut, or elaborate with discussion of other influential religions and relevant continental philosophers). the animal liberation bit seemed very up-to-date with trends in the 90s/ 2000s and is a fun excursion for newcomers but if included i would extend it to the abortion debate (not ethically but in terms of development of 'consciousness' etc.)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews