Handbuch Philosophie des Geistes

What is the status of mental states, such as conscious sensations, desires, beliefs or emotions, in a physical world? Can all such states be reduced to brain states? What exactly characterises mental states, and what can we know about the mental states of our fellow human beings?

This handbook provides a systematic overview of positions and questions in the philosophy of mind. A central topic is the relationship between mental states and brain states: physicalist and non-physicalist approaches as well as the problem of mental causation. In addition, questions on the character of the mental and on different types of mental states are examined, such as the debates on qualia, intentionality, memory and the relationship between thought and language. The picture is rounded off by articles on the topic of free will, empirical research into mental states and historical positions in the mind-body debate.