Causality, Interpretation, and the Mind (Oxford Philosophical Monographs) - Hardcover

Child, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198239785 ISBN 13: 9780198239789

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1994

Synopsis

Philosophers of mind have long been interested in the relation between two ideas: that causality plays an essential role in our understanding of the mental; and that we can gain an understanding of belief and desire by considering the ascription of attitudes to people on the basis of what they say and do. Many have thought that those ideas are incompatible. William Child argues that there is in fact no tension between them, and that we should accept both. He shows how we can have a causal understanding of the mental without having to see attitudes and experiences as internal, causally interacting entities and he defends this view against influential objections. The book offers detailed discussions of many of Donald Davidson's contributions to the philosophy of mind, and also considers the work of Dennett, Anscombe, McDowell, and Rorty, among others. Issues discussed include: the nature of intentional phenomena; causal explanation; the character of visual experience; psychological explanation; and the causal relevance of mental properties.

About this title

About the Author:

Fellow of All Souls 1985-9

Review:

"This book provides a useful, argument-packed guide through an impressive range of topics in current philosophy of mind and epistemology."--The Review of Metaphysics

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0198239785
• ISBN 13: 9780198239789
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248