Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy)

This comprehensive textbook, written by a leading author in the field, provides a survey of mainstream conceptions of the nature of mind accessible to readers with little or no background in philosophy. Included are the dualist, behaviourist, and functionalist accounts of the nature of mind, along with a critical assessment of recent trends in the subject. The problem of consciousness, widely thought to be the chief roadblock to our understanding of the mind, is addressed throughout the book and there is also material to interest those with a professional interest in the topic - philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists - as well as the general reader. Unique features of Philosophy of Mind:
* provides a comprehensive survey of basic concepts and major theories
* contains many lucid examples to support ideas
* cites key literature in annotated suggested reading and a full bibliography
* contains a full index including the location of key terms and concepts.

John Heil is Professor of Philosophy at Davidson College. He is the author of First-Order Logic (1994) and The Nature of Minds (1992).