In this Book
- Lost Souls: The Philosophic Origins of a Cultural Dilemma
- Book
- 2003
- Published by: State University of New York Press
summary
Lost Souls examines the origins and consequences of the philosophic idea that mind and body are distinct. The author traces mind-body dualism from Plato, Plotinus, Augustine, and Proclus through Descartes and Kant to Nietzsche, Heidegger, Carnap, and Quine. Mind’s separation from body has dominated philosophic thinking for millennia, yet most mental activities are now explained in physical terms. What are the implications if mind is material and mortal? Considering both philosophic and scientific ideas about mind, David Weissman explores our options. Rejecting the claim that the character and existence of other things are an effect of the ways we think about or perceive them, he reexamines such topics as meaning and truth, human significance, self, and society. He argues that philosophers have the rare opportunity to renew inquiry by invoking the questions that once directed them: What are we? What is our place in the world? What concerns are appropriate to being here?
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Illustrations
- p. xi
- Acknowledgments
- p. xiii
- Introduction
- pp. 1-4
- Chapter One Plato’s Divided Line
- pp. 5-14
- Chapter Three Consequences
- pp. 27-54
- Chapter Five The Cogito’s Demise
- pp. 81-96
- Chapter Six Churning
- pp. 97-144
- Chapter Seven Ideas to Reformulate and Save
- pp. 145-170
Additional Information
ISBN
9780791486719
DOI
MARC Record
OCLC
55896371
Pages
210
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No