The Analysis of Mind

A series of lectures analyzes mental phenomena such as belief, desire, perception, memory, emotion and will, questioning the idea that consciousness is a singular, irreducible essence and arguing for a neutral-stuff view that underlies both mental and physical descriptions. The author seeks to reconcile behaviourist insistence on observable psychology with developments in physics by treating mental events as constructions rather than material substances, and uses comparative psychology, clinical observation and philosophical analysis to support this stance. Chapters examine instinct and habit, causation, introspection, sensations and images, language and meaning, truth and belief, and the general characteristics and organization of mental life.