Mindware: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Science / Edition 2

by Andy Clark

Overview

Ranging across both standard philosophical territory and the landscape of cutting-edge cognitive science, Mindware: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Cognitive Science, Second Edition, is a vivid and engaging introduction to key issues, research, and opportunities in the field.

Starting with the vision of mindware as software and debates between realists, instrumentalists, and eliminativists, Andy Clark takes students on a no-holds-barred journey through connectionism, dynamical systems, and real-world robotics before moving on to the frontiers of cognitive technologies, enactivism, predictive coding, and the extended mind. Throughout, he highlights challenging issues in an effort to engage students in active debate. Each chapter opens with a brief sketch of a major research tradition or perspective, followed by concise critical discussions dealing with key topics and problems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199828159
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/15/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	295,596
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Andy Clark is Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in the School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of six books including Supersizing the Mind (2008) and Natural-Born Cyborgs (2004), both published by Oxford University Press.

Table of Contents

Introduction: (Not) Like a Rock1. Meat Machines: Mindware as Software2. Symbol Systems3. Patterns, Contents, and Causes4. Connectionism5. Perception, Action, and the Brain6. Robots and Artificial Life7. Dynamics8. Cognitive Technology: Beyond the Naked Brain9. Extended Minds? 10. Enacting Perceptual Experience11. Prediction Machines12. (Not Really a) ConclusionAppendix I. Some Backdrop: Dualism, Behaviorism, and BeyondAppendix II . Consciousness and the Meta-Hard Problem

Editorial Reviews

"The first edition of Mindware was so clear and engagingly written that it immediately became the go-to textbook for the philosophy of cognitive science. It was also so far out on the cutting edge that it has remained relevant for more than a decade. This updated and significantly expanded second edition is a major upgrade. With it, Andy Clark has improved on what already was the best introduction to the discipline and, no doubt, mapped out the debates of the next decade."—Anthony Chemero, University of Cincinnati

"As an introduction to the field, Mindware has no equal. It's one thing to transport traditional philosophical discussions into the realm of empirical research; it's another thing to do so in a way that students find accessible and engaging. This is a lively and assured guide, and Clark is an excellent tour guide."—Scott M. James, University of North Carolina Wilmington

From the Publisher