This book explains the relationship between intelligence and environmental complexity, and in so doing links philosophy of mind to more general issues about the relations between organisms and environments, and to the general pattern of 'externalist' explanations. The author provides a biological approach to the investigation of mind and cognition in nature. In particular he explores the idea that the function of cognition is to enable agents to deal with environmental complexity. The history of the idea in the work of Dewey and Spencer is considered, as is the impact of recent evolutionary theory on our understanding of the place of mind in nature.

The book examines the relationship between intelligence and environmental complexity.

Book Information
ISBN 9780521451666
Author Peter Godfrey-Smith
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 648g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 160mm * 26mm