This expanded and revised second edition of Morton's A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind combines primary readings with detailed commentary. The book has two aims: to present the philosophy of mind from a historical perspective so that the theories in the field are seen to emerge in the process of solving problems with earlier theories; and to give the students access to the original source material together with commentaries that explain the technical terms and jargon, outline the argumentative structure, and place the texts in their historical context. The second edition adds several new chapters covering recent issues in the field, and revises earlier chapters to improve the readings and update the commentaries. The readings and commentaries begin with Plato and Aristotle, and then explain the implications of the scientific revolution for philosophy of mind. The philosophies of the early modern period include Cartesian dualism, Hobbesian materialism, and Berkeley’s idealism. The second part of the book surveys the developments in philosophy of mind in the twentieth century, including behaviourism, identity theory, and functionalism. In the third part, the readings and commentary survey contemporary problems if philosophy of mind, including artificial intelligence, consciousness, intentional semantics, and mental causation.

Peter A. Morton teaches in the Department of Humanities at Mount Royal College, Calgary. He is the author of A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind (Broadview Press, 1997).

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"The format of this book combines the virtues of both text and anthology of primary readings. Morton's introductions to each section of the book will prove invaluable to the student; he not only gives lucid and nicely organized expositions of the views of the authors but also puts those views into the context of the issues which were current when the authors were writing. In this way the historical continuity and developmental character of the theories discussed is preserved and indeed illuminated."

George Pappas

"This is a useful selection of historical material, with illuminating commentary. It fills a real gap in the literature."

Frances Egan

"Peter Morton's text provides well-chosen primary readings from the history of modern Western philosophy, along with a small number of ancient sources. The historical texts illuminate the core contemporary readings that follow, and provide very useful context for ongoing debates in both the Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science. Morton's accompanying remarks about the readings and the wider issues they raise are clear, detailed, and charitable. Students in the Philosophy of Mind will find this an immediately helpful text."

Tim Kenyon