Of a Different Mind - by Erik Myin (Paperback)

About the Book

"An intro to philosophy of mind textbook that attempts to breathe new life into classic topics that are easily caricatured, while integrating a wider range of modern thinkers and movements"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A new way to teach philosophy of mind and psychology that makes room for action-first views.

Much of contemporary philosophical discourse of the mind is dominated by understanding the mind as a naturally evolved kind of computer. In this view, evolution has equipped us with a biological information processor, and it is thanks to its computational operations that we perceive, act intelligently, and think. By contrast, this novel textbook presents a view of the philosophy of mind where action, rather than thought, is the most fundamental thing a mind does. Erik Myin covers a broad range of action-based views--embodied, embedded, enacted, extended, and enculturated--while providing a thorough introduction to standard analytical philosophy of mind. Balancing historical perspectives with forward-looking pluralism, Myin tells a different story about the philosophy of mind that expands, rather than constrains, possibilities and provides a relevant blueprint for the next generation of thinkers in the field.

• Offers an innovative, agential view of the philosophy of mind
• Integrates coverage of historical thinking and contemporary developments
• Details action-first views of the mind
• Suits undergraduate students in philosophy and psychology

About the Author

Erik Myin is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Antwerp and coauthor of Radicalizing Enactivism: Basic Minds without Content and Evolving Enactivism: Basic Minds Meet Content, both published by MIT Press. He also coauthored the Dutch student handbook Wat maakt de mens?, published by Boom.