First published in 1995. Since Descartes, the mind has been thought to be `in the head', separable from the world and even from the body it inhabits. Gregory McCulloch, in The MInd and its World, considers the latest debates in philosophy and cognitive science about whether the thinking subject actually requires an environment in order to be able to think. McCulloch explores the argument from Descartes, through Locke, Frege and Wittgenstein up to the present day. He then offers an original defence of his own version of externalism - that the mind is constituted by the objectw which are its phenomena. The Mind and its World provides a clear and accessible introduction to a cluster of contemporary controversies in the area of the philosophy of mind and language. It is designed to be read by students with no previous knowledge of the issues, but will also be of interest to specialists in the field.
Biography
McCulloch, Gregory
'If this book is read as widely as it deserves to be, especially by undergraduates, then it should have two beneficial effects: externalism will appear more straightforwardly compelling, and the haze surrounding it will no longer be mistaken for aura.' - MIND
'Provides an engaging introduction to the philosophy of language and the metaphysics of mind-world relations. The arguments are neatly signposted throughout the book and the style is clear and declamatory; the writing is fresh, vigorous and witty.' - MIND
