Mind, Language And Society: Philosophy In The Real World (Masterminds)

Disillusionment with psychology is leading more and more people to formal philosophy for clues about how to think about life. But most of us who try to grapple with concepts such as reality, truth, common sense, consciousness, and society lack the rigorous training to discuss them with any confidence. John Searle brings these notions down from their abstract heights to the terra firma of real-world understanding, so that those with no knowledge of philosophy can understand how these principles play out in our everyday lives. The author stresses that there is a real world out there to deal with, and condemns the belief that the reality of our world is dependent on our perception of it. "In this book, John Searle brings concepts such as reality, truth, consciousness and society from their abstract perch down to the world we all live in. He takes readers through the conceptual problems associated with basic metaphysics, the biology of the mind, the structure of consciousness, the paradox of intentionality, the nature of language and the structure of the social universe. Condemning the belief that our world is dependent on our perception of it, Searle stresses that there is a real world, and discusses the ways in which philosophy can help us deal with it. In short, he takes questions apart, analyzes them and then places them together to present a "total philosophy." In Mind, Language and Society, Searle teaches us how to practice philosophy in the real world. Book jacket."--Jacket "Mind, Language and Society is a succinct, easy-to-follow account of a series of absolutely central philosophical problems, a proposal for their solution, and an account of how they relate to each other and to the real world."--Jacket An introduction to the major questions of philosophy by one of America's greatest and best-known philosophers. A practical guide to philosophical theory and how it applies to your life From the time of scientific revolutions of the seventeenth century until the early decades of the twentieth. The author reflects upon the effects of culture and language on the creation of meaning and consciousness