Mind-body Identity Theories (Problems of Philosophy) - Softcover

One of the most central and familiar problems in the philosophy of mind is that of explaining the relation between mind and body. It seems that whatever mind is, it is inextricably bound up with the body of a person. Cynthia Macdonald believes that mind-body identity theories offer the best promise of a unified account of mind in its relation to body and of the phenomenon of causal interaction. The author traces the complex history of the mind-body identity theory. She concentrates on the type-type identity theories of Central State Materialists J.J.C. Smart and U.T. Place, the causal role identity theories of David Lewis and D.M. Armstrong, and the token-token identity theories of Jaegwan Kim and Donald Davidson. She goes on to give an extended and sophisticated defence of the theory of non-reductive monism, in the light of a view of events known as the property exemplification account. This book should be of interest to advanced students and lecturers of philosophy.