MIT Press Of a Different Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind and Psychology

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