Description: "Promises to be one of the most fascinating and interesting books in the philosophy of mind in recent years." -- John R. Searle, University of California-Berkeley. In Deconstructing the Mind, Stephen Stich, once a leading advocate of the eliminativist argument that commonsense mental states do not exist, offers a bold and compelling reassessment of this view. The book opens with a trenchant multi-part essay in which Stich examines a crucial flaw in eliminativist reasoning. Arguing that neither semantic theory nor appeals to principles or rationality implicit in scientific practice can close the gap between eliminativists' premises and their conclusion, Stich proposes that questions about the existence of mental states will be settled through a pragmatic process of negotiation involving both social and political considerations. Subsequent essays explore folk psychology in more detail, develop a systematic critique of simulation theory, and counter widespread concerns about" naturalizing" psychological properties.

Please Wait