Matters of Mind: Consciousness, Reason and Nature (International Library of Philosophy)

I like this book because Sturgeon gives readers what few in the high court of academic philosophy would ever dare to: the unadorned truth. In general, philosophers have made a muddle of these mysteries of the mind, but Sturgeon sorts it our nicely, and with style and readability that few in his field can match. The technical aspects will be daunting for lay readers, especially the highly original examination of ideas across different disciplines, and how they relate. But this is a work of the highest order, and it will be remembered and heavily referenced for many, many years to come. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 Setting things aside......Page 16 Visual experience......Page 18 Five Remarkable Features......Page 19 Disjunctive Quietism......Page 21 A space of common-factor views......Page 32 Raw-Feel Theory......Page 35 Intentional Theory......Page 37 Sense-data Theory......Page 40 Constructing a Theory......Page 44 Discussion Points......Page 52 Explaining Qualia......Page 53 Property explanation......Page 54 Concepts and Qualia......Page 57 Dissolving The Problem of Qualia......Page 61 Materialism and dualism......Page 64 Content and warrant......Page 66 Semantic and epistemic success......Page 67 Transparent, Private and World-involving contact with the world......Page 70 Transparent, Public and World-involving contact with the world......Page 71 Transparent, Public and World-distinct contact with the world......Page 73 Opaque, Public and World-involving contact with the world......Page 75 Conclusion......Page 79 Appendix......Page 80 Discussion Points......Page 82 Warrant and reliability......Page 83 Process Reliabilism......Page 85 Evidential force and Process Reliabilism......Page 90 Evidential force and Content Reliabilism......Page 96 Discussion Points......Page 107 Zombies and ghosts......Page 112 Genuine possibility......Page 113 Conceivability......Page 118 Rejecting the arguments......Page 122 Common-sense ghosts......Page 125 Discussion Points......Page 129 Physicalism and overdetermination......Page 132 Locating The Overdetermination Argument......Page 133 Spotting a gap......Page 135 Closing the gap......Page 136 Mereology and causal closure......Page 139 The Overdetermination Argument and physics......Page 143 Causal presuppositions......Page 148 The roots of reduction......Page 150 Pulling the roots......Page 151 The Overdetermination Argument again......Page 154 Modest physicalism......Page 156 Discussion Points......Page 158 Conclusion......Page 160 What it means......Page 165 The road ahead......Page 166 References......Page 168 Index......Page 174 Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 5 Acknowledgements 11 Introduction 12 Setting things aside 16 Visual experience 18 Five Remarkable Features 19 Disjunctive Quietism 21 A space of common-factor views 32 Raw-Feel Theory 35 Intentional Theory 37 Sense-data Theory 40 Constructing a Theory 44 Discussion Points 52 Explaining Qualia 53 Property explanation 54 Concepts and Qualia 57 Dissolving The Problem of Qualia 61 Materialism and dualism 64 Content and warrant 66 Semantic and epistemic success 67 Transparent, Private and World-involving contact with the world 70 Transparent, Public and World-involving contact with the world 71 Transparent, Public and World-distinct contact with the world 73 Opaque, Public and World-involving contact with the world 75 Conclusion 79 Appendix 80 Discussion Points 82 Warrant and reliability 83 Process Reliabilism 85 Evidential force and Process Reliabilism 90 Evidential force and Content Reliabilism 96 Discussion Points 107 Zombies and ghosts 112 Genuine possibility 113 Conceivability 118 Rejecting the arguments 122 Common-sense ghosts 125 Discussion Points 129 Physicalism and overdetermination 132 Locating The Overdetermination Argument 133 Spotting a gap 135 Closing the gap 136 Mereology and causal closure 139 The Overdetermination Argument and physics 143 Causal presuppositions 148 The roots of reduction 150 Pulling the roots 151 The Overdetermination Argument again 154 Modest physicalism 156 Discussion Points 158 Conclusion 160 What it means 165 The road ahead 166 References 168 Index 174 The mind-body problem continues to be the focus of many of our philosophical concerns. Matters of Mind tackles how the problem has spanned and how it has changed from the earlier theories of reducing aboutness to empirical cases for physicalism. The theories of perception, property explanation, content, knowledge, reliabilism and the problem of zombies and ghosts are all carefully assessed Matters of Mind examines the mind-body problem. It offers a chapter by chapter analysis of debates surrounding the problem, including visual experience, consciousness and the problem of Zombies and Ghosts. It will prove invaluable for those interested in epistemology, philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Introduction -- 1. Visual Experience -- 2. Explaining Qualia -- 3. Content And Warrant -- 4. Warrant And Reliability -- 5. Zombies And Ghosts -- 6. Physicalims And Overdetermination. Scott Sturgeon. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [157]-162) And Index.