What is the relationship between our perceptions and reality?
What is the relationship between the mind and the body? These are
questions with which philosophers have grappled for centuries, and
they are topics of considerable contemporary debate as well. Hilary
Putnam has approached the divisions between perception and reality
and between mind and body with great creativity throughout his
career. Now, in "The Threefold Cord: Mind, Body, and World, " he
expounds upon these issues, elucidating both the strengths and
weaknesses of current schools of thought. With his characteristic
wit and acuity, Putnam offers refreshing solutions to some of
philosophy's most vexing problems.
Putnam first examines the problem of realism: is objective truth
possible? He acknowledges the deep impasse between empirical and
idealist approaches to this question, critiquing them both,
however, by highlighting the false assumption they share, that we
cannot perceive the world directly. Drawing on the work of J. L.
Austin and William James, Putnam develops a subtle and creative
alternative, which he calls "natural realism."
The second part of the book explores the mind-body question: is
the mind independent of our interactions with the physical world?
Again, Putnam critically assesses two sharply antithetical
contemporary approaches and finds them both lacking. "The Threefold
Cord" shows the entire mind-body debate to be miscast and draws on
the later work of Wittgenstein, once more advancing original views
on perception and thought and their relationship with both the body
and the external world. Finally, Putnam takes up two related
problems -- the role of causality in human behavior and whether or
not thoughts and sensations have an "existence" all their own.
With Putnam's lucid prose and insightful examples, "The
Threefold Cord" loosens the Gordian knots into which philosophy has
bound itself over the issue of epistemology.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!