Minds, Brains and Science

Minds, Brains and Science takes up just the problems that perplex people, and it does what good philosophy always does: it dispels the illusion caused by the specious collision of truths. How can we accept an intuitive commonsense view of ourselves as conscious, free, rational agents in a universe that science tells us consists of mindless physical particles? Searle briskly and lucidly sets out his arguments against the familiar positions in the philosophy of mind, and details the consequences of his ideas for the mind-body problem, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and the philosophy of the social sciences. Searle's book is an admirably clear and vigorous exposition of his views on a connected set of philosophical issues of importance and timeliness. --John Perry This book is aggressive, zealous, and acute. Searle's manner is that of a plain man in possession of plain truths that no one can reject if they are plainly enough stated. I cannot think of another book quite like it. --Arthur Danto