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Scientists often try to understand the world by building simplified
and idealised models of it. Adam Toon develops a new approach to
scientific models by comparing them to the dolls and toy trucks of
children's imaginative games, and offers a unified framework to
solve difficult metaphysical problems and help to make sense of
scientific practice.
First volume on mental fictionalism, a hot topic in philosophy of
mind Great line of up contributors, including a chapter by Daniel
Dennett Strong international potential due to contributors from UK,
USA and eastern and western Europe
We often think of the mind as an inner world. Once, this inner
world might have been a spirit or soul - a "ghost in the machine",
in Gilbert Ryle's memorable phrase. Nowadays, we are told it will
be found in the brain. Adam Toon argues that this is a mistake. In
fact, our concept of mind is fundamentally metaphorical: we project
the 'outer world' of human culture onto the 'inner world' of the
mind. This is an enormously powerful way of making sense of people
and their behaviour. But we must not forget that this inner world
is only a useful fiction. Mind as Metaphor develops this idea to
offer a radical new approach to the mind, known as mental
fictionalism. Toon shows that mental fictionalism can make sense of
our ordinary concept of mind (or folk psychology), while avoiding
the difficulties faced by alternative approaches, such as
behaviourism or instrumentalism. In doing so, Mind as Metaphor
sheds new light on a range of issues, from the mind's capacity to
represent the world (or intentionality) to the way in which new
tools and practices expand the limits of inquiry. Written in a
concise, engaging, and accessible style, Mind as Metaphor is
essential reading for anyone interested in the nature of the mind
and its relationship to human culture
Scientists often try to understand the world by building simplified
and idealised models of it. Adam Toon develops a new approach to
scientific models by comparing them to the dolls and toy trucks of
children's imaginative games, and offers a unified framework to
solve difficult metaphysical problems and help to make sense of
scientific practice.
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