Minds and Bodies

This work is a clear introduction to the mind-body problem. It requires no prior philosophical knowledge and is ideally suited to those coming to philosophy and philosophy of mind for the first time. Written with the beginner in mind, Robert Wilkinson carefully introduces the reader to the fundamental components of the philosophy of mind: Descartes's dualist account of mind and body; subsequent developments in Western philosophy of mind, such as other types of dualism; monist views including eliminativism; and computer science and artificial intelligence. Each chapter is then linked to a reading from key thinkers in the field and encourages students to think critically about the readings for themselves. By the end of the book students should be able to: understand and evaluate for themselves the major and fundamental concepts from the philosophy of mind; confidently discuss some of the writings by key commentators such as Descartes, John R. Searle and Thomas Nagel; and comprehend proposed solutions to the mind-body problem and the major objections to them.

"Written in a clear, unintimidating style.Wilkinson covers the major positions and arguments in the field, but he does more than simply catalog them: he carefully guides the reader through this often difficult territory."-David Robb, Davidson College

Robert Wilkinson teaches at the Open University in Scotland. His previous publications include Thirty-five Oriental Philosophers (Routledge, 1994).