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Philosophy
of Mind
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 Unfolding
Bodymind : Exploring Possibility Through Education by
Hocking, Haskell, Linds
Volume Three of the Foundations of Holistic Education
Series
Unfolding Bodymind is a gathering of
bold, fascinating ideas by twenty-one educators exploring the frontiers
of contemporary educational thought and practice. The authors are
engaged in various ways with the task of overcoming the philosophical
separation of the mind from the physical world that has characterized
Western culture, especially our educational practices, since Descartes
at the dawn of the scientific era. Reporting their experiences in
diverse learning situations (from college classrooms to scuba diving
instruction to theatre warm up exercises), they investigate how learning
is immersed in the world and takes place only through purposeful action
and dynamic relationship. Body and mind form an inseparable whole; thus,
knowing is no longer simply a "cognitive" process but an
engagement of the integrated "bodymind" with the environment.
The authors describe how thought is intrinsically infused with feeling,
desire, and sensation, and therefore the task of education is to
"rekindle our senses." When we no longer view the human self
as an independent, isolated atom (as assumed in so many of the methods
and techniques of modern schooling) but as constituted in interaction
with the world, then learning is not a dry acquisition of information
but a reaching out to the world with a sense of wonder to explore new
possibilities.
Inspired by several streams of unconventional
thinking--Buddhism, phenomenology, the holistic biology of Francisco
Varela and Humberto Maturana, and an exquisite ecological sensibility
such as that in David Abram's work (The Spell of the Sensuous)--the
authors construct a strong philosophical foundation for a holistic
understanding of knowing, teaching, and learning. To express their
unfamiliar insights, many of them play with conventional language to
make it serve a more holistic, relational view of the world. For
example, the editors replace "understanding" with the term
"interstanding"; several authors insert poetry and free verse
into their essays; words are sometimes broken up with parentheses or
slashes to emphasize their root meanings or their ambiguity. This book
challenges the reader to step out of the linear, overly rational
discourse that has conditioned our worldview.
With the exception of Abram and Canadian theorist
David Jardine (whose writings grace this collection), most of the
authors are largely unknown young scholars whose work has not yet
circulated in established academic or professional circles. They came
together at a conference in Vancouver in May, 1999 to share their
experiences and ideas about "enactive" and embodied learning,
and their chapters are carefully revised versions of their conference
presentations. One of them, Franc Feng, suggests that that conference
"may turn out to be a watershed in holism and ecological discourse
... which contributed to the reversal of anthropocentric greed and
arrogance towards a discourse of love, compassion, humility, and
reverence for all life."
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here to learn more about this Book
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here for General Philosophy Books
 The
Nature of Consciousness : Philosophical Debates by
Ned Joel Block
(Editor), Owen Flanagan (Editor), Guven
Guzeldere
(Editor)
Almost everyone agrees that we possess
consciousness, but as this book demonstrates, that's where the
agreement ends. What can we say about the mind without fear of
contradiction? Not much, and that's how the study of
consciousness stands out from other scientific and philosophical
endeavors--the field's great minds argue cogently with little
common ground, and nothing is safe from questioning.
For the adventurous and thoughtful reader,
this is a paradise on the frontiers of knowledge. The Nature
of Consciousness presumes a basic familiarity with science
and philosophy, as well as a willingness to think and read
carefully. With articles by such bright lights as Daniel
Dennett, John Searle, Patricia Smith Churchland, and even the
great William James, it provides both a comprehensive overview
of the field and in-depth analyses of such issues as the
mind-body problem and how we can study a phenomenon that may not
be observed directly. It is best read as an update on Western
scientific and philosophical replies to one of the great
questions: Who are we? Given the universal appeal of such a
question, the reader will undoubtedly find much within to
challenge, puzzle, frustrate, and delight. --Rob Lightner
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for more Philosophy of Mind Books
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 This site contains several papers by
Teed Rockwell on issues in Philosophy of Mind, with commentary written by a variety of philosophers and scientists. It also contains the Archives of an Internet Mailing
list called Cognitive Questions, and uses a complex network of links to show how the Internet
postings and the commentaries created a dialogue that gave rise to each paper.
Papers include:
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Created and Maintained by the Department of Philosophy, University of
Stirling.
Director: Dr Jose Luis Bermudez
Research Assistant: Fiona Macpherson
The site includes details of the project, previous and forthcoming conferences, papers by members
and guests of the project, a bibliography on self-deception and links.
Site Includes:
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"Are Theories of Imagery Theories of Imagination? An Active Perception Approach
to Conscious Mental Content"
Can theories of mental imagery, conscious mental contents, developed within cognitive science
throw light on the obscure (but culturally very significant) concept of imagination? Three extant
views of mental imagery are considered: quasi-pictorial, description, and perceptual activity
theories. The first two face serious theoretical and empirical difficulties. The third is (for
historically contingent reasons) little known, theoretically underdeveloped, and empirically
untried, but has real explanatory potential. It rejects the "traditional" symbolic computational
view of mental contents, but is compatible with recent situated cognition and active vision
approaches in robotics. This theory is developed and elucidated. Three related key aspects of
imagination (non-discursiveness, creativity, and seeing as) raise difficulties for the other
theories. Perceptual activity theory presents imagery as non-discursive and relates it closely to
seeing as. It is thus well placed to be the basis for a general theory of imagination and its role in creative thought. |
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Created and Maintained by Nigel
J. T. Thomas. A gateway resource site for the philosophical, scientific, and historical study of
imagination and mental imagery, and their role in consciousness and cognition.
This site specifically covers imagination and mental imagery approached from serious scientific,
philosophical or historical perspectives.
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By Nigel
J. T. Thomas
Folk Psychology vs. Mental Simulation: How Minds
Understand Minds. Papers from or relating to Robert Gordon's NEH Seminar
on the "Simulation" Theory of "Folk Psychology":
relevant to understanding interpersonal understanding, empathy, the
nature and origins of mental concepts, the causes of autism, etc.
Articles by Gordon, Stich, and others.
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This site includes work by Chalmers as well as other
philosophy of mind resources. Site Includes: Works by
Chalmers:
Other Resources
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Essay by Ted Honderich
Functionalism and other materialisms leave out
consciousness in their attempt to say what it is. Something very new is
needed -- maybe the idea in this first paper to the effect that perceptual
consciousness consists in a state of affairs -- the existence in a way of
things or a world.
Excerpt:
The difference for present purposes
between ourselves and stones, chairs and our computers is that we are
conscious. The difference is fundamental. Being conscious is sufficient
for having a mind in one sense of the word `mind', and being conscious is
necessary and fundamental to having a mind in any decent sense. What is
this difference between ourselves and stones, chairs and our computers?
The question is not meant to imply that there is a conceptual or a nomic
barrier in the way of non-biological things being conscious. It may happen
one decade that the Other Minds problem will shoot up the philosophical
agenda and get a lot of attention as a result of a wonderful computer
attached to perceptual and behavioral mechanisms, and that the thing will
in the end be taken as conscious, rightly. Our question is not what things
can be conscious, but what the property or nature of consciousness is...
Ted Honderich's Online Essays:
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Luca Malatesti
Extensive index of links to resources covering all
aspects of the philosophy of mind.
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Yacov Feldman's system to explain development of groups - from one person to mankind
(sic).
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Philosophy of mind and the philosophical issues arising in the allied
domain of cognitive sciences constitute a fast developing territory, which is very well introduced by a number of excellent web
resources (see our choice at RECOMMENDED LINKS section). In
the hope not just to follow the stream, but to be interestingly complementary to them, more focused views of specific regions will
be supplied here. We call them GUIDED
TOURS, each being an in depth exploration of a particular topic that comprises two parts: 1) a
preliminary state-of-the-art report on the issue, which explains what the question is, how it arises and what ramifications result from it;
how the debate goes on with all the theories, objections, proposed solutions, etc. 2) a bibliographical guide to the relevant literature,
which consists of copiously annotated items. Such a bibliography does not aim at an abstract completeness, but it should reasonably
cover all the material worth mentioning, or at least what so seems in the opinion of the author. As it is in the ‘field guide’ genre, the
reader is provided with helpful signposts by experienced authors, but is encouraged to eventually take his own path. In the continuous
effort of enlarging and keeping them updated, the ‘tours’ will be always in progress.
Annotated items can be individually searched in the DATABASE section, where they are listed by AUTHORS and
by TITLES.
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