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Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain
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Product Description
Honorable Mention in the category of Psychology in the 1986 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.
Neurophilosophy is a rich interdisciplinary study of the prospects for a unified cognitive neurobiology. Contemporary research in the empirical neurosciences, and recent research in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of science, are used to illuminate fundamental questions concerning the relation between abstract cognitive theory and substantive neuroscience.
Patricia Smith Churchland is Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. A Bradford Book.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #423418 in Books
- Published on: 1989-09-07
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 560 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
This profound, exhaustive, and well-written scholarly work is an excellent introduction to neuroscience from a philosopher's point of view. It traces the history of neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and neuropsychology, then treats issues in the philosophy of science, such as the mind/body problem and non-dualistic reductionism. Finally, it reviews and discusses interesting current developments in neurobiology and artificial intelligence. In demonstrating the relevancy of neuroscience to philosophy, Churchland (Philosophy, Univ. of California, San Diego) argues that mental processes are brain processes, that the theoretical construct blending neuroscience and psychology surpasses folk psychology, and that detailed knowledge of the organization and structure of nervous systems is necessary for the evolution of an adequate theory of the mind/brain. Highly recommended. Robert Paustian, Wilkes Coll. Lib., Pa.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Churchland writes with the authority of an insider."
- Philip Kitcher, Nature
"Churchland's approach is... refreshing, and it is well carried out .... I am going to use Neurophilosophy as the textbook in my graduate course in cognitive neuropsychology. For anyone interested in the 'real' CNS, this volume is by far the best that has come out of cognitive science."
- Karl H. Pribram, Contemporary Psycholoqy
"Neurophilosophy is a pioneering work. As our understanding of the brain develops, philosophers will need to know more about the function of its parts, while neuroscientists will increasingly confront philosophical issues. This perceptive, lively and informative book combines both approaches in ail up to date and very readable manner. "
- F.H.C. Crick, The Salk Institute
About the Author
Patricia Smith Churchland is Chair of the Philosophy Department and the UC President's Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego, and Adjunct Professor at the Salk Institute. She is past president of the American Philosophical Association and the Society for Philosophy and Psychology.
Customer Reviews
Out of date now...but motivates modern developments
Published over 17 years ago, this book was one of the first examples of the now accelerating trend to make philosophical investigations into the mind/brain problem accountable to modern science. Pure speculation once dominated any discussion of the mind (or the brain) and therefore progress in the field by any measure was non-existent. There are of course still purely philosophical investigations into the mind/body problem, but these will no doubt decay rapidly with time as scientific investigations continue to lay to rest various "impossibility" claims philosophers have made about the physical brain. Indeed, in this century, the rise of machine intelligence will hammer the last nail in the coffin of mind/brain philosophical speculation.
The author of the book is a materialist, and in this book she has given an excellent justification of her position, and expresses at all times fairness to those who disagree with her positions and conclusions. She also expresses a rare intellectual honesty about the scientific evidence supporting her claims, informing the reader at every place in the book where it is not available or weak at best. Without a doubt the author was not happy at the state of philosophy at the time the book was published, holding that it completely omitted neuroscience, and embraced in her words "a novel and sophisticated form of dualism". She explains this was ample reason for her to take the plunge into a more scientific/empirical framework. The book is an excellent example of what can result when a philosopher decides to do this.
The book is divided up into three parts, with the first one emphasizing the biology of nervous systems and neuropsychology, the second part an overview of developments in the philosophy of science, and the third part discussing the ramifications of neurobiology for research in artificial intelligence. Although somewhat out of date due to the advancements in both experimental and theoretical neuroscience since then, it could still be of interest, mainly to philosophers, who are interested in applying their talent for logical thinking and organization to difficult problems in neuroscience. The transition from pure philosophical speculation to the rigors of scientific investigation may at first be difficult for the typical armchair philosopher, but their high degree of intelligence and their restless desire to get at the truth will soften it considerably. And in the decades ahead, one will witness the presence of "industrial philosophers": those who have chosen to leave the "proverbial armchair" and apply their abilities to both understand and give rise to intelligent machines.
An excellent introduction to 'materialism'
This book begins with a complete and somewhat dry but useful tour of the history of neuropsychology, complete with major discoveries and the arguments that predated them, showing their conclusions and how it has led to the construction of an in-progress model of human intelligence. This is followed by a summarization of general epistemological arguments from the discipline of philosophy, concluding with a general understanding of how our world functions relative to our own intelligences. In the process, the author argues convincingly for a materialist - or "limited to the physical world only" - understanding of human consciousness and how thoughts are generated, avoiding un-politically-correct conclusions entirely but thoroughly debunking any religious, dualistic or overly idealized conclusions about human individuality. Rough reading at times but an excellent compendium of information.
The Epistemology of Consciousness
Churchland's primary goal is to demonstrate that the problem of mind-brain is reducable through neuroscience. She gives a brief history of the study of the brain, basic neuroanatomy, and talks about recent developments in the philosophy of science.
Tremendous job ! Very detailed, hard reading, but extremely worthwhile
