PUTNAM: THE ATTACK ON MATERIALISM AND PHYSICALISM In the debate engaging the contemporary philosophy of mind the functionalist movement has proved to be an extremely lively, complex, and epistemologically formidable contender. Functionalism has addressed themes and issues of crucial importance to the mindbody relationship: the nature of mental states, the structure of psychological explanation,...
THE LINGUISTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE MENTAL AND ITS VARIANTS In the preceding two chapters we pointed out the unquestionable merits as well as the limits of the proposals advanced by functionalism and by the other ‘reformist’ version of the identity theory. These proposals helped ‘liberalize’ the reflection on the mbp and orient it in new and stimulating directions. They have, however, been...
Sergio Moravia's The Enigma of the Mind (originally published in Italian as L'enigma della mente) offers a broad and lucid critical and historical survey of one of the fundamental debates in the philosophy of mind - the relationship of mind and body. This problem continues to raise deep questions concerning the nature of man. The book has two central aims. First, Professor Moravia sketches the...