Minds, Brains and Science

John R. Searle

Harvard University Press, 1984 - History - 107 pages

Minds, Brains and Science takes up just the problems that perplex people, and it does what good philosophy always does: it dispels the illusion caused by the specious collision of truths. How do we reconcile common sense and science? John Searle argues vigorously that the truths of common sense and the truths of science are both right and that the only question is how to fit them together.

Searle explains how we can reconcile an intuitive view of ourselves as conscious, free, rational agents with a universe that science tells us consists of mindless physical particles. He briskly and lucidly sets out his arguments against the familiar positions in the philosophy of mind, and details the consequences of his ideas for the mind-body problem, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, questions of action and free will, and the philosophy of the social sciences.

Contents

• THE MINDBODY PROBLEM: 13
• CAN COMPUTERS THINK?: 28
• COGNITIVE SCIENCE: 42

Bibliographic information

• Title: Minds, Brains and Science; Reith Lectures; 1984; Reith lectures
• Author: John R. Searle
• Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1984
• Original from: University of Minnesota
• Digitized: Feb 24, 2010
• ISBN: 0674576314, 9780674576315
• Length: 107 pages
• Subjects: History / Caribbean & West Indies / General; History / United States / 19th Century; Philosophy / General; Philosophy / Movements / Humanism; Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / American / African American & Black Studies