Mental Representation: A Reader

This volume is a collection of both new and previously published essays focusing on one of the most exciting and actively discussed topics in contemporary philosophy: naturalistic theories of mental content. The volume brings together important papers written by some of the most distinguished theorists working in the field today. Authors contributing to the volume include Jerry Fodor, Ruth Millikan, Fred Dretske, Ned Block, Robert Cummins, and Daniel Dennett. One special feature of the volume is its format. Following the editors′ introduction and several essays surveying the field are important articles offering theories of mental content. Following each of these articles is a critical discussion of the theory presented. Critical commentators for the volume include Terrance Hogan, Barry Loewer and Lynne Rudder Baker. The volume is intended for use in upper–level undergraduate and graduate courses in the philosophy of psychology. It will also be of use to professional philosophers and cognitive scientists.

List of Contributors. Part I: Introduction: . 1. Introduction: Ted A. Warfield and Stephen Stich. 2. Fodor′s Guide to Mental Representation: Jerry Fodor. 3. Mental Representation: Hartry H. Field. Part II: The Theories: . Conceptual Role Semantics. 4. Advertisment for a Semantics for Psychology: Ned Block. 5. Why Meaning (Probably Isn′t Conceptual Role: Jerry Fodor and Ernest Lepore. Information Based Semantics. 6. Misrepresentation: Fred Dretske. 7. From Information to Intentionality: Barry Loewer. Asymmetric Dependence:. 8. A Theory of Content, II: The Theory: Jerry Fodor. 9. Fodorian Semantics: Fred Adams and Ken Aizawa. Teleogy. 10. Biosemantics: Ruth Millikan. 11. A Continuum of Semantic Optimism: Peter Godfrey–Smith. Interpretational Semantics:. 12. Interpretational Semantics: Robert Cummins. 13. Computation and Mental Representation: Terence Horgan. Intentional Systems Theory:. 14. True Believers: The Intentional Strategy and Why it Works: Daniel Dennet. 15. Instrumental Intentionality: Lynne Rudder Baker. Part III: Epilogue: . 16. What is a Theory of Mental Representation? Stephen Stich. References and Bibliography. Index.

Stephen P. Stich is Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at Rutgers University. He is author of From Folk Psychology to Cognitive Science and The Fragmentation of Reason . Ted A. Warfield is currently a PhD candidate in the department of philosophy at Rutgers University where he holds a University Excellence Fellowship. He is the author of a number of articles on various topics in the philosophy of mind and epistemology.