Download or read book La mente written by John R. Searle and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book El misterio de la conciencia written by John R. Searle and published by Grupo Planeta (GBS). This book was released on 2000 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: El funcionamiento del cerebro y el misterio de la conciencia humana son dos de los asuntos más importantes con los que deben enfrentarse la filosofía y la ciencia de nuestros días, pues afectan a todos los ámbitos de la existencia, desde la inteligencia artificial hasta las promesas de una vida ultraterrena. La mayoría de la gente cree, en uno u otro sentido, en la idea de que la conciencia está por encima y más allá de todo. John Searle, en cambio, sostiene que los estados de conciencia no son otra cosa que avatares del cerebro causados por procesos neurológicos. Y para demostrar su afirmación no sólo se opone a las tesis de pensadores como Daniel Dennett o Roger Penrose, según los cuales las características del cerebro son susceptibles de representación y reproducción mediante programas de ordenador, sino también a la idea de que la conciencia pueda reducirse a una serie de pasos como los diseñados para ciertos programas informáticos. A partir de ahí, destaca el papel que debe desempeñar la neurociencia en el progreso hacia una verdadera comprensión de los problemas de la conciencia y, acto seguido, sugiere vías de intervención posterior que puedan conducirnos a una explicación biológica del surgimiento de estados de conciencia a partir de la actividad de las neuronas y otros componentes del cerebro.
Download or read book Libertad y neurobiolog a written by John R. Searle and published by Grupo Planeta (GBS). This book was released on 2005 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: El filósofo norteamericano John R. Searle debe su renombre internacional a sus trabajos sobre el lenguaje y la mente. En este texto prosigue su labor en el campo de la filosofía práctica, retomando desde su propia perspectiva algunas cuestiones fundamentales, a saber, las de la libertad y el poder político. ¿En qué consiste ser libre? Si acudimos a los logros de la investigación contemporánea en el ámbito de las ciencias cognitivas y de la neurobiología, debemos reconocer una determinada relación con la hipótesis del determinismo. La pregunta, entonces, es: ¿cuál ha de ser la naturaleza de la mente, como hecho físico, para que la libertad sea posible?
Download or read book Minds Brains and Science written by John R. Searle and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The philosophy of mind is unique among contemporary philosophical subjects, writes John Searle, in that all of the most famous and influential theories are false. One of the world's most eminent thinkers, Searle dismantles these theories as he presents a vividly written, comprehensive introduction to the mind. He begins with a look at the twelve problems of philosophy of mind - which he calls Descartes and Other Disasters - problems which he returns to throughout the volume, as he illuminates such topics as materialism, consciousness, the mind-body problem, intentionality, mental causation, free will, and the self. The book offers a refreshingly direct and engaging introduction to one of the most intriguing areas of philosophy.
Download or read book Minds Brains and Science written by John R. Searle and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1984 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Six lectures discuss the mind-body problem, artificial intelligence, the workings of the brain, the mental aspect of human action, prediction of human behavior, and free will.
Download or read book The Fantastic in Literature written by Eric S. Rabkin and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-08 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What exactly is the fantastic? In the twentieth-century world, our notions of what is impossible are assaulted every day. To define the nature of fantasy and the fantastic, Eric S. Rabkin considers its role in fairy tales, science fiction, detective stories, and religious allegory, as well as in traditional literature. The examples he studies range from Grimm's fairy tales to Agatha Christie, from Childhood's End to the novels of Henry James, from Voltaire to Robbe-Grillet to A Canticle for Leiboivitz. By analyzing different works of literature, the author shows that the fantastic depends on a reversal of the ground rules of a narrative world. This reversal signals most commonly a psychological escape, often from boredom, to an unknown world secretly yearned for, whose order, although reversed, bears a precise relation to reality. Originally published in 1976. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Download or read book Fantasy and Mimesis Routledge Revivals written by Kathryn Hume and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since Plato and Aristotle’s declaration of the essence of literature as imitation, western narrative has been traditionally discussed in mimetic terms. Marginalized fantasy- the deliberate from reality – has become the hidden face of fiction, identified by most critics as a minor genre. First published in 1984, this book rejects generic definitions of fantasy, arguing that it is not a separate or even separable strain in literary practice, but rather an impulse as significant as that of mimesis. Together, fantasy and mimesis are the twin impulses behind literary creation. In an analysis that ranges from the Icelandic sagas to science fiction, from Malory to pulp romance, Kathryn Hume systematically examines the various ways in which fantasy and mimesis contribute to literary representations of reality. A detailed and comprehensive title, this reissue will be of particular value to undergraduate literature students with an interest in literary genres and the centrality of literature to the creative imagination.
Download or read book Self Constitution written by Christine M. Korsgaard and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2009 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christine M. Korsgaard presents an account of the foundation of practical reason and moral obligation, based on a new theory of action and interaction. She proposes that the function of an action is to constitute the agency and therefore the identity of the person who does it, and that only morally good action can serve this function. -;Christine M. Korsgaard presents an account of the foundation of practical reason and moral obligation. Moral philosophy aspires to understand the fact that human actions, unlike the actions of the other animals, can be morally good or bad, right or wrong. Few moral philosophers, however, have exploited the idea that actions might be morally good or bad in virtue of being good or bad of their kind - good or bad as actions. Just as we need to know that it is the function of the. heart to pump blood to know that a good heart is one that pumps blood successfully, so we need to know what the function of an action is in order to know what counts as a good or bad action. Drawing on the work of Plato, Aristotle, and Kant, Korsgaard proposes that the function of an action is to. constitute the agency and therefore the identity of the person who does it. As rational beings, we are aware of, and therefore in control of, the principles that govern our actions. A good action is one that constitutes its agent as the autonomous and efficacious cause of her own movements. These properties correspond, respectively, to Kant's two imperatives of practical reason. Conformity to the categorical imperative renders us autonomous, and conformity to the hypothetical imperative. renders us efficacious. And in determining what effects we will have in the world, we are at the same time determining our own identities. Korsgaard develops a theory of action and of interaction, and of the form interaction must take if we are to have the integrity that, she argues, is essential for. agency. On the basis of that theory, she argues that only morally good action can serve the function of action, which is self-constitution. -
Download or read book On Semiotic Modeling written by Myrdene Anderson and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2014-01-02 with total page 632 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Classics of Semiotics written by Martin Krampen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is designed to usher the reader into the realm of semiotic studies. It analyzes the most important approaches to semiotics as they have developed over the last hundred years out of philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and biology. As a science of sign processes, semiotics investigates all types of com munication and information exchange among human beings, animals, plants, internal systems of organisms, and machines. Thus it encompasses most of the subject areas of the arts and the social sciences, as well as those of biology and medicine. Semiotic inquiry into the conditions, functions, and structures of sign processes is older than anyone scientific discipline. As a result, it is able to make the underlying unity of these disciplines apparent once again without impairing their function as specializations. Semiotics is, above all, research into the theoretical foundations of sign oriented disciplines: that is, it is General Semiotics. Under the name of Zei chenlehre, it has been pursued in the German-speaking countries since the age of the Enlightenment. During the nineteenth century, the systematic inquiry into the functioning of signs was superseded by historical investigations into the origins of signs. This opposition was overcome in the first half of the twentieth century by American Semiotic as well as by various directions of European structuralism working in the tradition of Semiology. Present-day General Semiot ics builds on all these developments.
Download or read book Teleosemantics written by Graham Macdonald and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2006-09-28 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teleosemantics seeks to explain meaning and other intentional phenomena in terms of their function in the life of the species. This volume of new essays from an impressive line-up of well-known contributors offers a valuable summary of the current state of the teleosemantics debate.
Download or read book Applied General Systems Research written by G. Klir and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 979 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume consists of a selection of papers presented at the International Conference on Applied General Systems Research: Recent Developments and Trends which was held on the campus of the State University of New York at Binghamton in August 15-19, 1977, under the sponsorship of the Special Panel on Systems Science of the NATO Scientific Affairs Division. General systems research is a fairly new field which has been developing in the course of the last two or three decades. In my op~n10n, it can be best described as a movement which involves the study of all structural and context independent aspects of problem solving. As such, it is cross-disciplinary in nature and, in this sense, it might seem similar to mathematics. There is a consid erable difference, however, between the two. While pure mathe matics is basically oriented to the development of various axiomatic theories, regardless of whether or not they have any real world meaning, applied mathematics explores the applicability of some of these theories as potentially useful methodological tools in various problem areas. General systems research, in contrast with applied mathematics, is problem oriented rather than tool oriented. As such, it tries to develop genuine methods for solving systems problems, i. e. , structural type and context in dependent problems. The term "genuine method" is used here to refer to a method which adjusts to the problem rather than re quiring that the problem be adjusted to make the method applicable.
Download or read book The Disorder of Things written by John Dupré and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With this manifesto, John Dupré systematically attacks the ideal of scientific unity by showing how its underlying assumptions are at odds with the central conclusions of science itself.
Download or read book A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology written by Sahotra Sarkar and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-11-08 with total page 618 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A COMPANION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY “Sarkar is to be congratulated for assembling this talented team of philosophers, who are themselves to be congratulated for writing these interesting essays on so many fascinating areas in philosophy of biology. This book will be a wonderful resource for future work.” Elliot Sober, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Many of the discussions here start with a definition of terms and a historical context of the subject before delving into the deeper philosophical issues, making it a useful reference for students of biology as well as philosophy.” Northeastern Naturalist “The topics that are addressed are done so well. This book will appeal to the advanced student and knowledgeable amateur and may prove useful catalyst for discussion among research teams or those engaged in cross-disciplinary studies.” Reference Reviews A Companion to the Philosophy of Biology offers concise overviews of philosophical issues raised by all areas of biology. Addressing both traditional and emerging areas of philosophical interest, the volume focuses on the philosophical implications of evolutionary theory as well as key topics such as molecular biology, immunology, and ecology Comprising essays by top scholars in the field, this volume is an authoritative guide for professional philosophers, historians, sociologists and biologists, as well as an accessible reference work for students seeking to learn about this rapidly-changing field.
Download or read book The Nature and Value of Knowledge written by Duncan Pritchard and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-05-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume comprises three distinct investigations into the relationship between the nature and the value of knowledge. Each is written by one of the authors in consultation with the other two. 'Knowledge and Understanding' (by Duncan Pritchard) critically examines virtue-theoretic responses to the problem of the value of knowledge, and argues that the finally valuable cognitive state is not knowledge but understanding. 'Knowledge and Recognition' (by Alan Millar) develops an account of knowledge in which the idea of a recognitional ability plays a prominent role, and argues that this account enables us better to understand knowledge and its value. 'Knowledge and Action' (by Adrian Haddock) argues for an account of knowledge and justification which explains why knowledge is valuable, and enables us to make sense of the knowledge we have of our intentional actions.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Causation written by Helen Beebee and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-01-12 with total page 816 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Causation is a central topic in many areas of philosophy. In metaphysics, philosophers want to know what causation is, and how it is related to laws of nature, probability, action, and freedom of the will. In epistemology, philosophers investigate how causal claims can be inferred from statistical data, and how causation is related to perception, knowledge and explanation. In the philosophy of mind, philosophers want to know whether and how the mind can be said to have causal efficacy, and in ethics, whether there is a moral distinction between acts and omissions and whether the moral value of an act can be judged according to its consequences. And causation is a contested concept in other fields of enquiry, such as biology, physics, and the law. This book provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of these and other topics, as well as the history of the causation debate from the ancient Greeks to the logical empiricists. The chapters provide surveys of contemporary debates, while often also advancing novel and controversial claims; and each includes a comprehensive bibliography and suggestions for further reading. The book is thus the most comprehensive source of information about causation currently available, and will be invaluable for upper-level undergraduates through to professional philosophers.
Download or read book Scientific Perspectivism written by Ronald N. Giere and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-05-05 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people assume that the claims of scientists are objective truths. But historians, sociologists, and philosophers of science have long argued that scientific claims reflect the particular historical, cultural, and social context in which those claims were made. The nature of scientific knowledge is not absolute because it is influenced by the practice and perspective of human agents. Scientific Perspectivism argues that the acts of observing and theorizing are both perspectival, and this nature makes scientific knowledge contingent, as Thomas Kuhn theorized forty years ago. Using the example of color vision in humans to illustrate how his theory of “perspectivism” works, Ronald N. Giere argues that colors do not actually exist in objects; rather, color is the result of an interaction between aspects of the world and the human visual system. Giere extends this argument into a general interpretation of human perception and, more controversially, to scientific observation, conjecturing that the output of scientific instruments is perspectival. Furthermore, complex scientific principles—such as Maxwell’s equations describing the behavior of both the electric and magnetic fields—make no claims about the world, but models based on those principles can be used to make claims about specific aspects of the world. Offering a solution to the most contentious debate in the philosophy of science over the past thirty years, Scientific Perspectivism will be of interest to anyone involved in the study of science.
