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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Psychology Undergraduate's View, April 7, 2000
This review is from: Philosophy of Mind and Cognition (Paperback)
Rather than treating Philosophy and Psychology as diverse subjects it is quite refreshing to see that there are still authors who introduce the subject of the mind to students of Psychology as the deep and absorbing subject that it really is, and show that they do still walk hand in hand, no matter how scientific one of them may have become. Even though David Braddon-Mitchell and Frank Jackson appear to assume that their readers have a grounding in Philosophy as well as Psychology, they do so in a way which would encourage a mere novice to widen their knowledge, this will therefore make the subject of Psychology far more interesting and forfilling, and thereby make the complicated subject of the Human Mind more clear. It is additionally encouraging by the inclusion of a comprehensive glossary so eliminating over-referencing like other texts, but at the same time leads inquisitive students into fresh fields where they can 'graze' on the klnowledge of the subject to their heart's content. Each school of Philosophy is clearly expalined and compared to it's sister, and subjectively ctitisied. It moves from the pre-history of contemporary Philosophy of Mind - Dualism and Behaviourism, and early versions of the identity theory of mind, through discussions on functionalism in its many varieties, consciousness and quili, instrumentalism and the autonomy of Psychology, to topics such as eleminative materialism, individualism and the problems of content and representation. The text according to the authors, was viewed by students of the Philosophy of Psychology before printing, this gives an air of originality to the book, which in turn would be an ideal undertaking for other authors of literature relating to the ever complex subject of Psychology. The nature and level of the discussion within the covers of the book make it and ideal foundation for any undergraduate, and graduate, course in both Psychology and Philosophy. This book is an up-to-date introduction to, and account of, the transition of Philosophy from a dry and sometimes non-understandable subject to a cognitive science where investigation of theories is possible. It clearly provides students of Psychology, and Philosophy, with a clear and coherant picture of the human mind, which can only be expanded.
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7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Braddon-Mitchell's Student of Philosophy of the Mind, May 5, 2002
By A Customer
I feel more than able to comment on this book, as a current student of Braddon-Mitchell's - Philosophy of the Mind course, run at the University of Sydney, Australia. Not only that, but I'm using it as a reference this instant in writing some research material. This is of course a good reference for students but it has its flaws. I would not wholeheartedly recommend it to the novice philosopher or undergrad student. Not before browsing some other materials. The book itself is based almost wholly on the way that David would run his course. In fact it does, they mirror one another almost totally. I have followed the course and examined the book and they coincide more than neatly. Whilst this is essentially dynamic, this is where its imperfections may show themselves. As a lecturer might, there is philosophical bias and a tendency to forget that the subject matter itself is not independent. One might feel at times, that you are being taught the Right theory. There are critiques, but standing from an established point of analysis. I do not feel that it is engaging as Braddon-Mitchell is in his courses and certainly, it can be swamped in some vague sentences. It will require close reading or a good background in the discipline. It is comprehensive book though, very in depth and reaching to the full extent, matters of cognition. I provide my criticism not to attack the book, but often with reviews, all that is mentioned is its content.
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