Mind and Brain: A Dialogue on the Mind-body Problem (Hackett Philosophical Dialogues) - Softcover

Will be an invaluable addition to the resources available to teachers of beginning philosophy courses. It presents the fundamental arguments--historical and contemporary--for both dualism and materialism, as well as the standard objections to each. The presentation is clear and balanced, and should be useful for a wide range of courses.--Mark Owen Webb, Texas Tech University

This lively dialogue provides a clear and compelling overview of the mind-body problem suitable for both introductory students and those who have some background in the philosophy of mind. Topics include immortality; materialism; Descartes' 'Divisibility Argument' for dualism; the 'Argument from Introspection'; the problems with dualism; the interaction between mind and brain; parallelism; the 'type/token' distinction within materialism; recent arguments against materialism and its ability to explain consciousness; the epistemological problem of other minds; the nature of inductive knowledge; and the 'Inverted Spectrum Argument.' Also included are a list of study questions designed to enhance classroom discussion and to serve as a resource for the development of paper topics, and an index of key terms.