Synopses & Reviews
Disillusionment with psychology is leading more ore people to formal philosophy for clues about how to think about life. But most of us who try and grapple with concepts such as reality, truth, common sense, consciousness, and society lack the means, background, and structure to discuss them with any confidence. John Searle brings down these notions from their abstract perch to the terra firma of real-world understanding, so that those with no knowledge of philosophy can understand how these principles play out in our everyday lives.
After disentangling the major questions we face engaging in the world, Searle then zeros in on those forces that inhibit that engagement. He systematically takes readers through conceptual problems associated with basic metaphysics, the biology of mind, the structure of consciousness, the paradox of intentionality, and the structure of the social universe. The author stresses that there is a real world out there to deal with, and condemns the belief that the reality of our world is dependent on our perception of it.
Synopsis
Disillusionment with psychology is leading more and more people to formal philosophy for clues about how to think about life. But most of us who try to grapple with concepts such as reality, truth, common sense, consciousness, and society lack the rigorous training to discuss them with any confidence. John Searle brings these notions down from their abstract heights to the terra firma of real-world understanding, so that those with no knowledge of philosophy can understand how these principles play out in our everyday lives. The author stresses that there is a real world out there to deal with, and condemns the belief that the reality of our world is dependent on our perception of it.
Table of Contents
Basic metaphysics : reality and truth -- How we fit into the universe : the mind as a biological phenomenon -- The essence of the mind : consciousness and its structure -- How the mind works : intentionality -- The structure of the social universe : how the mind creates an ojective social reality -- How language works : speech as a kind of human action.