Mind, Language And Society: Philosophy In The Real WorldDisillusionment with psychology is leading more and more people to formal philosophy for clues about how to think about life. But most of us who try to grapple with concepts such as reality, truth, common sense, consciousness, and society lack the rigorous training to discuss them with any confidence. John Searle brings these notions down from their abstract heights to the terra firma of real-world understanding, so that those with no knowledge of philosophy can understand how these principles play out in our everyday lives. The author stresses that there is a real world out there to deal with, and condemns the belief that the reality of our world is dependent on our perception of it. |
Contents
Introducing Philosophy | 7 |
Four Challenges to Realism | 20 |
Skepticism Knowledge and Reality | 27 |
Beyond Atheism | 33 |
Intentionality | 85 |
How | 111 |
Notes | 163 |
171 | |
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answer argument argument from illusion behavior beliefs and desires believe binding problem biological brain processes Cambridge causal causal relations cause chapter claim Clinton collective intentionality commodity money concept conditions of satisfaction conscious experiences consciousness default positions describe direction of fit distinction dualism epiphenomenalism epistemically example existence explain external realism feature of consciousness feel hearer human illocutionary acts illocutionary point independently institutional facts institutional reality intrinsic intentionality J. L. Austin language large number linguistic material matter mental mind mind-body problem nature objects observer-independent ontology perception perform perlocutionary acts phenomena phenomenon philosophical physical presuppositions property dualism propositional content puzzle question real world regnet Richard Rorty scientific sciousness seems sense sentence skepticism social sort speaker meaning speech act status function structure subjective suppose theory things thought tion tional true or false types of illocutionary typically unconscious utterance visual experience words