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Philosophy of Mind: A Beginner's Guide (Beginners Guide (Oneworld))

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Edward Feser's book is a fine introduction to the contemporary issues in Philosophy of Mind. I believe this is saying a lot because Philosophy of Mind is a terribly difficult subject and there are no really solid boundaries between today's major thinkers. For example, Daniel Dennett (Consciousness Explained), John Searle (Mind, Language, and Society : Philosophy in the Real World), Jerry Fodor (LOT 2: The Language of Thought Revisited) and Paul Churchland (Matter and Consciousness: A Contemporary Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind) are all given some mention and their ideas are discussed in a useful way.

Two major benefits of this book are the Glossary at the end of the book and the Further Reading sections at the end of each chapter. Feser does a great job hitting the high points and the history of Philosophy of Mind in nine painless chapters: 1) Perception, 2) Dualism, 3) Materialism, 4) Qualia, 5) Consciousness, 6) Thought, 7) Intentionality, 8) Person and 9) Postscript (2006). My degree is in Philosophy and I wish I had had this book my freshman year. And while it may not help resolve any of the issues on the topic, it is very helpful in understanding the issues involved. I highly recommend it.

Feser's book is an excellent, perhaps the best, introduction for contemporary philosophy of mind. In a clear prose, but in the rigorous argumentative style of most professional philosophers, Feser explains the main topics of discussion in philosophy of mind (e.g. the mind-body problem, consciousness, thought, intentionality, persons etc.), critically explore each position in its strong and weak points, making explicit its hidden assumptions and implications.

The book includes a glossary that defines the words and concepts to a full grasp of each essential idea. That glossary is very useful, especially for people without a formal training in philosophy.

Also, the bibliography provided by Feser is of great help, because it guides the readers to specific and reliable sources on each topic.

An essential guide for philosophy of mind students and scholars, and for any person interested in philosophy.

Edward Feser's "Philosophy of Mind" is one of the most important philosophy books ever published in the past half century, in my opinion.


At the very beginning, Feser indicates that philosophy, to be understood, requires a knowledge of everything.
For those beginning their understanding of philosophy, and the benefits of knowledge, this is one of the most vital introductions, because the existence of MIND is still at the center of a raging controversy.

Naturalists, which is to say Materialists, designated elsewhere as "atheists" will argue the Non-existence of MIND; but will to argue that only BRAIN exists, and that MIND is actually BRAIN.
Naturalism therefore, is a philosophical MONISM, which contends that only a single substance exists, and that Matter as studied in the Natural Sciences, is the only substances that exists. That is MONISM.

Arguably, it is a massively flawed explanation for what is found in human experience.

What remains as the alternative. Well, Classical Dualism is the obvious alternative. This is found in ancient religious systems such as Judaism, Christianity, and conceptions closely akin, which espouse a contrasted Duality, which acknowledges for example, a HEAVEN and an EARTH, SOUL & BODY, and so forth and so on.

What Feser does is take one to the critical arguments, and offer a full explanation of them.
His arguments, by the way, are not articulated as I have presented them here.

My perspective is forged in the arena of public debate with Ontological Naturalists, which is to say, Atheists.

Feser is not grinding that Axe, but Feser is an advocate of the Classical Dualist Philosophy.

For those who have some sort of religious worldview, Feser is about the best introduction to the workings of Philosophy.

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I bought the Kindle version of this book, but I recommend you buy the ordinary book version, so that you can refer to the glossary while reading. The author does try to make this very complex topic simpler but is not entirely successful. This book is a long, cumulative argument in favor of hylomorphist dualism. The first few chapters are relatively easy to follow, but in order to follow the arguments of the later chapters it is necessary for the reader to memorize definitions of technical terms and to memorize arguments and their names, which I was not able to accomplish. This book is full of information and very educational, but I would certainly not be able to summarize it for anyone else.