The Character of Mind - An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition)

The Character of Mind provides a general introduction to the philosophy of mind, covering all the main topics: the mindbody problem, the nature of acquaintance, the relation between thought and language, agency, the self. In particular, Colin McGinn addresses the issue of consciousness, and the difficulty of combining the two very different perspectives on the mind that arise from introspection and from the observation of other people. His aim throughout is to identify the recalcitrant problems clearly, and to suggest fruitful approaches to their solutions, always avoiding facile answers.

New for this edition:

Adds three completely new chapters on consciousness, mental content, and cognitive science, bringing it abreast of current developments. A distinctive viewpoint is adopted, stressing consciousness, but the intention is still to come to grips with the underlying philosophical problems, accessibly articulating the deep difficulties we face in theorizing about the mind.