Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I wish to examine the concept of a system whose behavior can be-at least sometimes-explained and predicted by relying on ascriptions to the system of..." (more)
Key Phrases: Law of Effect, Santa Claus, The Concept of Mind (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The problems that Daniel Dennett addresses in his essays are crucial ones for philosophy and contemporary science. With a sure touch and a great deal of insight, he has subjected to analysis questions that lie at, or perhaps just beyond, the frontiers of the scientific study of mind and brain. Dennett's work should help guide progress in the understanding of the profound and troubling issues that have intrigued and perplexed critical minds for many centuries. His work is stimulating and impressive...."
—Noam Chomsky

Product Description

This collection of 17 essays by the author offers a comprehensive theory of mind, encompassing traditional issues of consciousness and free will. Using careful arguments and ingenious thought-experiments, the author exposes familiar preconceptions and hobbling institutions. The essays are grouped into four sections: Intentional Explanation and Attributions of Mentality; The Nature of Theory in Psychology; Objects of Consciousness and the Nature of Experience; and Free Will and Personhood.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (July 13, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262540371
• ISBN-13: 978-0262540377
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #538,068 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars see below, April 3, 2000

By	skeezer "skeezer" (Salem, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

I must give credit to Dennett for trying very hard to make his ideas clear, because he does a better job than most philosophers, but the book is still a bit boring.

5 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars very interesting, April 1, 2000

By	skeezer "skeezer" (Salem, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

The ideas Dennett raises are (inevitably) very interesting, as we are talking about the brain, so there is lot of material here to keep you thinking. A lot of the arguments he makes don't exactly make sense (i.e. comparisons that don't apply), but his is a voice worth considering.