Problems of the Self: An Essay Based on the Shaw Lectures Given in the University of Edinburgh, March 1914 (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

John Laird

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0484200933 ISBN 13: 9780484200936

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Explore how Bergson challenged mind–body ideas and reshaped our view of perception and action.

This edition presents a rigorous discussion from the Shaw Lectures on the self, tracing debates about mind, body, and consciousness. It examines Bergson’s claim that action and perception are deeply connected, yet not reducible to will or thought alone. The analysis weighs competing views from philosophy and psychology, offering a clear account of how our sense of self might arise from a continuum of experience and action.

Readers will follow a measured critique of modern theories, see how intuition and cognition interact, and learn why some thinkers see perception as more than mere mental content. The text addresses timeless questions about the nature of reality, the role of memory, and how we understand individuality within a dynamic world.

• How Bergson’s ideas fit with or challenge classical mind–body theories
• What intuition, perception, memory, and action contribute to the self
• How the book treats continuity, identity, and the nature of experience
• Key terms and positions in the ongoing debate between empiricism, rationalism, and metaphysics

Ideal for readers of philosophy and cognitive science seeking a clear, structured introduction to early 20th‑century debates about selfhood and reality.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0484200933
• ISBN 13: 9780484200936
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 389