Abstract Philosophy, unlike most other subjects, does not try to extend our knowledge by discovering new information about the world. It tries to deepen our understanding by reflection on what is already closest to us—the experiences, thoughts, concepts, and activities that make up our lives, and that ordinarily escape notice because they are so familiar. Philosophy begins by finding utterly...
Abstract Although it does not solve the mind-body problem, this is a valuable and interesting book. Dennett begins with the accurate observation that no one would find the identity theory plausible if it were not for the unpalatability of the alternatives. As he puts it, the motive for identification is to avoid antic bulge. If there really are mental phenomena, they must be either identical or...