Philosophy of Mind

Plunky

Can anyone tell me exactly what the philosophy of mind is? I've tried reading some of Ryle's "The Concept of Mind", but it didn't go too well, and I'm now running low on time, and seriously need to know what it's about... Thanks!

DadaKopf

You got an essay due in shortly or something?

It's not possible to tell you what 'Philosophy of Mind' is because there are many different philosophies of mind. Ryle's concept - logical behaviouralism - is just one point of view.

The only general definition I can imagine is this: to answer the great questions philosophers have approached them from different angles throughout history, from natural philosophy to transcendental aesthetics to phenomenology etc.; philosophy of mind is yet another of these trends in which philosophers have focused on the mind as a way to answer these burning questions - the Mind has been generally regarded as the crossover point of many if not all these questions or as a key entry point to answering these questions.

Capiche?

So I'd say crack open the books, photocopy like crazy, make cramming notes, find the Cambridge (maybe Oxford) Dictionary of the Philosophy of Mind and get working. Not long to go to the exams.

solo1

Cambridge Dictionary of the Philosophy of Mind

I have that book! Rock on!

Although, on a personal note, I'm not sure if I'm any wiser having read large chunks of it.