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A Brief History of the Soul
"From Homer's dream-demons to contemporary MRI research, the subtle and varied expression of mental life has been an obstacle to the claims of physicalism. A Brief History of the Soul takes a now formidably challenged position. The clarity and fairness of the exposition are exemplary, moving the reader from era to era, and leaving little doubt but that, as "soul" has a rich philosophical history, so too is it likely to have a robust future." "Brief or not, this book provides a lucid account of central views of the soul in Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and Contemporary philosophy. The authors skillfully interact with their subject matter, consider physicalist views and objections with fairness and critical clarity, and address mind-body dualism as it has actually been held by its best proponents. The result is that a position that is often wrongly despised on shaky grounds gets a fair and accurate hearing and defense. I highly recommend this excellent book, and look forward to using it." "A Brief History of the Soul accomplishes two important goals: It provides a concise history of the soul without treating that history as anachronistic, and it constantly relates its topics to contemporary issues in philosophy of mind. I enthusiastically recommend it, and will use it in my own philosophy of mind courses."
—Daniel N. Robinson, Philosophy Faculty, Oxford University
—Keith E. Yandell, Julius R. Weinberg Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
—J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University
Stewart Goetz (Author), Charles Taliaferro (Author)
9781405196321, Wiley
Paperback / softback, published 8 April 2011
240 pages
21.3 x 14 x 1.3 cm, 0.318 kg
“Although they may well have their own agenda, Goetz and Taliaferro not only provide an extremely useful chronological account of how the concept of the soul developed, they also illuminate the questions it was meant to solve, and the way these are not yet satisfactorily laid to rest.” (Times Higher Education Supplement, 5 July 2012) "So the book remains firmly within orthodox philosophy and science, although within these limits it can be highly recommended." (Network Review, 1 June 2011) "All this, as well as being useful in its own right, brings us properly prepared for a serious discussion and robust response to the challenges posted to the soul by the supposed conclusions of modern science. . . An excellent read." (New Directions, 1 July 2011)
This book is a clear and concise history of the soul in western philosophy, from Plato to cutting-edge contemporary work in philosophy of mind.
Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1 The Soul in Greek Thought 6 2 The Soul in Medieval Christian Thought 30 3 The Soul in Continental Thought 65 4 The Soul in Locke, Butler, Reid, Hume, and Kant 105 5 The Problem of Soul–Body Causal Interaction 131 6 The Soul and Contemporary Science 152 7 Contemporary Challenges to the Soul 182 8 Thoughts on the Future of the Soul 202 Bibliography 216 Index 225
Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]
