Introducing Philosophy of Mind, Today

This coursebook is an introduction to the philosophy of mind as it is practiced a quarter of the way into the 21st century. Each of the twenty chapters contains enough material for one standard week of college classes—including an editorial preface, an essay, a response to that essay, discussion questions, and suggestions for further readings. Some of the forty-two contributing authors address perennial philosophical puzzles about consciousness, perception, thought, and agency from 21st century perspectives. Others address new philosophical issues that arise from research in psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. And they do so without assuming any background knowledge of philosophy or the relevant sciences, using clear prose and vivid examples to communicate what experts understand about the mind, what fascinating philosophical puzzles remain, and what solutions to those puzzles are currently under consideration. The book is thus well-positioned to get graduate students and professors quickly up to speed with current debates in the philosophy of mind, even while being readable by (and teachable to) undergraduates and general readers.