What are we? What owns our thoughts and experiences? Are we anything at all? After an introduction, Section 2 assesses a 'no-bearer' theory of experience, and the 'no-self' contention that self-representations are about no real entity, before introducing a positive hypothesis about the objects of our self-representations: the 'animalist' claim that we are biological organisms. Section 3 discusses the classic challenge to animalism that brain transplantation is something we could survive but no animal could survive. This challenge introduces positive alternatives to animalism, as well as animalist responses, including one which questions the assumption that psychology is irrelevant to organism persistence. Section 4 surveys a 'thinking parts' problem and conjoined twinning and commisurotomy, also considered problematic for animalism. The interpretation of these cases revisits questions about bearers of experience, objects of self-representation, and the relation of biology and psychology. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
By:
Rory Madden (University College London) Imprint: Cambridge University Press Country of Publication: United Kingdom ISBN:9781009570510 ISBN 10: 100957051X Series:Elements in Philosophy of Mind Pages: 88 Publication Date:02 January 2025 Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active