Mind: A Brief Introduction

With characteristic verve and wit, Univ. of California at Berkeley philosopher Searle (The Rediscovery of the Mind) dismantles various competing theories of mind--dualist, materialist, behaviorist and skepticist--in this opinionated overview of the philosophy of mind. His purview includes the relationship of the mind to the body, the role of perception in human understanding and the purported equivalence between mind and brain. On dualism, for example, Searle finds Descartes's postulation of mind and body as separate spheres leaves no room for consciousness. Searle himself argues for a ""biological naturalism"" that holds that ""conscious states are real phenomena in the real world."" Although the language and theory surrounding the philosophy of mind is often technical and complex, Searle's knack for presenting dense ideas in lively prose makes this book a fine starting point for an investigation into the contemporary philosophy of mind.