The Character of Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind (OPUS)

The Character of Mind provides a sweeping and accessible general introduction to the philosophy of mind. Colin McGinn covers all of the main topics--the mind-body problem, the nature of acquaintance, the relation between thought and language, agency, and the self.In particular, McGinn addresses the issue of consciousness, and the difficulty of combining the two very different perspectives on the mind that arise from introspection and from the observation of other people. This second edition has been updated with three new cutting-edge chapters on consciousness, content, and cognitive science to make it the reader of choice on this vital topic. Preface to the First Edition 4 Preface to the Second Edition 5 Contents 7 1 MENTAL PHENOMENA 8 2 MIND AND BODY 23 3 CONSCIOUSNESS 45 4 ACQUAINTANCE WITH THINGS 54 5 CONTENT 77 6 THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE 86 7 COGNITIVE SCIENCE 110 8 ACTION 119 9 THE SELF 141 EPILOGUE: THE PLACE OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF MIND 163 Further reading 169 Index 173 A general introduction to the philosophy of mind, covering all the main topics: the mind-body problem; the nature of acquaintance; the relation between thought and language; agency; and the self. This book makes some often difficult language, and topics, approachable for those willing to learn it. Colin Mcginn. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.