Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines

By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Patrick Grim

Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

The quest to understand the mind has motivated some of history's most profound thinkers. But only in our own time are we beginning to see the true complexity of this quest, as today's philosophers draw on the latest evidence from neuroscience, psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and other fields to probe deeply into the inner workings of the mind.

These 24 stimulating lectures from an award-winning teacher and honored scholar present a clear, systematic, and compelling introduction to the philosophy of mind, exploring all of the major theories, including: Dualism, which holds that body and mind are separate substances; Behaviorism and Functionalism, which stress behavior and interactions with the world as clues to the mind's inner workings;. Idealism, the view that the physical world is an illusion and that only the mental realm exists; and the "antitheories" of mind, which posit that subjective mental experiences are fundamentally inexplicable and will always remain a mystery.

Examining the most intriguing questions and influential theories in what can often be a complex and often controversial intellectual terrain, Professor Grim sorts out the different approaches to give you the pros and cons of each.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2008 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2008 The Great Courses

Outstanding lectures on a challenging topic

What does Professor Patrick Grim bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Patrick Grim doe a very good job of making these very complex ideas palpable to the non-scientist and non-philosopher. He sounds a little like John Lithgow (not a complaint, just an observation.)

Great introductory course

Excellent structure, captivating presentation, and a very good length. Prof. Grim is a delight to listen to, and if you're undecided regarding which philosophy of mind audiobook to choose, I highly recommend this one.

Outstanding

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this has been a wonderful listen. I will probably listen 3 more times and return next year in an annual rotation

What was one of the most memorable moments of Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines?

The professor is captivating, hooked me with Einstein's brain

Which scene was your favorite?

every lecture is very good

Any additional comments?

I have enjoyed the Great courses, great add audible!

One of the best courses ever

What did you love best about Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines?

Few courses are able to combine such a thorough investigation of the subject matter, accessible and fascinating explanations of complex ideas, and an engaging lecture style. This is one. Highly recommended.

Which scene was your favorite?

Placing the investigation of consciousness at the end of the lectures was very helpful. By that time, we had already investigated the important background subject matter.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Way too dense for that.

Highly entertaining and stimulating romp

In a series of entertaining lectures, Professor Grim takes us on an elucidating tour through the central problems of the philosophy of mind, ultimately arriving at the current functionalist consensus, but not without a significant degree of healthy unease.

Among the unsettled frontiers of science and science-affiliated philosophy, consciousness stands out for its insistent accessibility to all of us. The questions of what this *thing* is that we seem to be, how it (we?) relates to the world, where it comes from, and what it is for have been central to human thought as far back as it was recorded, whether conceived as souls, djinni, or minds. They are intimate and difficult questions.

Grim opens with the foundational skepticism of Descartes, whose effort to erect a secure philosophy from first principles founders immediately on the difficulty of establishing even that \*I\* exist: for Descartes, because \*I\* think even if all my thoughts are wrong, twisted by some elaborate deception or insanity.

As he spins the story from Descarte’s mind-body dualism toward today’s thoroughgoing materialism, Grim continually delights the listener. Sprinkling the lectures with fascinating thought experiments, real experiments, and illusions, Grim turns the story over and over, giving each delightful character or thinker their full due before raising often-devastating critiques.

Science has amazed us in the last 150 years. We suddenly understand dramatic and surprising facts about phenomena so far from us, in time, space, and scale. And yet, how our brains, bodies, and the world give rise to consciousness remains a deep mystery. Today, we can’t even really say what such an explanation could consist of.

Thinkers of all stripes would do well to dwell on the deep question of consciousness, on the excitement that we could be on the cusp of a deeper understanding of it. For those new to the topic, this lecture series is an excellent introduction.

For those already familiar, Grim manages to draw a compelling and clear line through a complex discussion that may present the familiar in a fresh way. Who knows, perhaps this fresh perspective will provoke in some listener - in you! - the conceptual break-through we are all hoping for.

Outstanding

Grim is fantastic! I strongly recommend this series for anyone interested in the mind. Yes!

Mind-blowing course (pardon the pun)!

If you could sum up Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines in three words, what would they be?

Professor Grim explains philosophy of mind better than anyone I have ever heard or read on the topic. The subject-matter can be challenging, but the course makes everything clear. I have yet to encounter a more enlightening Great Course in the series. In fact, in my own research I have found this course to be so helpful that I have pursued the topics covered by Dr. Grimm further on my own. The result was an academic article written by me for my own discipline on the basis of what I learned from this course. I listened to this treasure trove of ideas many times over in the course of a month. The amount of valuable material is so great here that I could listen for another month. I sincerely recommend this course to anyone who wants to understand what thinking and feeling, perceiving and being human are all about.

Very Digestible & Fascinating Overview

What did you love best about Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines?

If you are interested in this topic, you already know how fascinating it can be. Patrick Grim is a great teacher - thoughtful, engaging, and concise.

Who was your favorite character and why?

David Rosenthal and Descartes.

Have you listened to any of Professor Patrick Grim’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But if I was really rich, I would hire him to teach me philosophy.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Loved learning about the higher-order thinking theory of consciousness.

Any additional comments?

The supplemental PDF is great - he has a glossary of relevant concepts and scientists.

Well Said

Learned more than I thought I would. Exceptional experience to review the way people think.

Very good presentation.

Some parts are just discussed in a superficial way, but this is understandable considering the complexity of such a vast subject. The depth of parts of the presentation will need to be listened to again. I will listen to this again, but now taking notes and a review of the PDF documents.