The Mind-Body Problem: A Guide to the Current Debate

Reviews the major ideas generated in the latest resurgence of the mind-body controversy in philosophy. The 27 essays, most previously published, cover physicalist perspectives, whether the problem is well posed, intentionality and cognitive science, beyond reductive naturalism, subjectivity, incorrigibility, and dualism. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

This is an introduction to the contemporary debate about the relation between mind and body. Recent philosophy has seen a resurgence of interest in this issue and the contributions in this volume, written by the leading figures in the field, gives a uniquely thorough overview of the current state of play. This debate subjects classical physicalism - the view that the mind is, in some sense, physical - to an intense re-evaluation, a re-evaluation which is in part an analysis of the explanatory scope and limits of philosophy itself.

Contributors include: J. J. C. Smart, Jerry Fodor, Paul M. Churchland, Patricia S. Churchland, Sydney Shoemaker, Thomas Nagel, Galen Strawson, Steven Wagner, Colin McGinn, Richard Rorty, Fred Dretske, Joseph Owens, John Heil, John MacNamara, Stephen P. Stich, John Haldane, Brian O'Shaughnessy, Ted Honderich, Terence Horgan, Jaegwon Kim, Ernest LePore, Barry Loewer, John Searle, John Foster, Richard Swinburne, Zeno Vendler, George Myro, Richard Warner and George Bealer.