New Perspectives on Type Identity : The Mental and the Physical

This book defends a solution to the mind/body problem of great importance historically, namely that a wide range of mental states are identical with physical states of the brain. It throws light on such topics as mental causation, consciousness and the nature of various specific mental phenomena, including visual experiences and pains.

The type identity theory, according to which types of mental state are identical to types of physical state, fell out of favour for some years but is now being considered with renewed interest. Many philosophers are critically re-examining the arguments which were marshalled against it, finding in the type identity theory both resources to strengthen a comprehensive, physicalistic metaphysics and a useful tool in understanding the relationship between developments in psychology and new results in neuroscience. This volume brings together leading philosophers of mind, whose essays challenge in new ways the standard objections to type identity theory, such as the multiple realizability objection and the modal argument. Other essays show how cognitive science and neuroscience are lending new support to type identity theory and still others provide, extend and improve traditional arguments concerning the theory's explanatory power.