Of a Different Mind

A new way to teach philosophy of mind and psychology that makes room for action-first views.

Much of contemporary philosophical discourse of the mind is dominated by understanding the mind as a naturally evolved kind of computer. In this view, evolution has equipped us with a biological information processor, and it is thanks to its computational operations that we perceive, act intelligently, and think. By contrast, this novel textbook presents a view of the philosophy of mind where action, rather than thought, is the most fundamental thing a mind does. Erik Myin covers a broad range of action-based views—embodied, embedded, enacted, extended, and enculturated—while providing a thorough introduction to standard analytical philosophy of mind. Balancing historical perspectives with forward-looking pluralism, Myin tells a different story about the philosophy of mind that expands, rather than constrains, possibilities and provides a relevant blueprint for the next generation of thinkers in the field.

Offers an innovative, agential view of the philosophy of mindIntegrates coverage of historical thinking and contemporary developmentsDetails action-first views of the mindSuits undergraduate students in philosophy and psychology