Philosophy of Mind in the Early and High Middle Ages provides an outstanding overview to a tumultuous 900-year period of discovery, innovation, and intellectual controversy that began with the Roman senator Boethius (c480-524) and concluded with the Franciscan theologian and philosopher John Duns Scotus (c1266-1308). Relatively neglected in philosophy of mind, this volume highlights the importance of philosophers such as Abelard, Duns Scotus, and the Persian philosopher and polymath Avicenna to the history of philosophy of mind.

Following an introduction by Margaret Cameron, twelve specially commissioned chapters by an international team of contributors discuss key topics, thinkers and debates, including:

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• mental perception;
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• Avicenna and the intellectual abstraction of intelligibles;
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• Duns Scotus;
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• soul, will, and choice in Islamic and Jewish contexts;
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• perceptual experience;
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• the systematization of the passions;
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• the complexity of the soul and the problem of unity;
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• the phenomenology of immortality;
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• morality; and
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• the self.
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Essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy of mind, medieval philosophy, and the history of philosophy, Philosophy of Mind in the Early and High Middle Ages is also a valuable resource for those in related disciplines such as Religion.

About the Author

Margaret Cameron is Canada Research Council Chair in the Aristotelian Tradition (Tier II) and an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Victoria, Canada. She works in the Aristotelian tradition of logic and philosophy of language, as well as the history of the philosophy of language more broadly, and has published articles in The Cambridge Companion to Boethius, The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Philosophy, Vivarium, History of Philosophy Quarterly, American Catholic Philosophy Quarterly, and the Archives d'histoire doctrinale du moyen age grec et latin, as well as in a number of other book publications.

Reviews

Praise for this volume:

'This book is the second volume in a six-part history of the philosophy of mind that is designed to cover the entire history of philosophy, from antiquity to the present. Although some of the chapters focus on individual thinkers, the volume is organized thematically so that each chapter addresses its topic independently [...] the book is a valuable entry into some of the central debates in the medieval philosophy of mind.' - Jari Kaukua, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland

Praise for The History of the Philosophy of Mind:

'A monumental resource for anyone interested in the human mind and the history of philosophical attempts to understand it. Students who consult these volumes will appreciate the multiple branching paths that connect past philosophical writings to those of the present. The juxtapositions of topics and historical figures in each volume can help researchers in contemporary philosophy of mind identify precedents for contemporary positions.' - Susanna Siegel, Harvard University, USA

'This six-volume history of the philosophy of mind is a compendious tour-de-force, tracing the sources of modern problems to a vibrant philosophical conversation ranging from antiquity to the present day. This is a special and uniquely wide-ranging resource for anyone, from the novice to the expert, with an interest in the nature of mind and its faculties, as well as its relation to the body and the physical world.' - Samuel Rickless, University of California San Diego, USA

'These six volumes constitute an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the philosophy of mind and the history of philosophy - as well as metaphysics, psychology, and cognitive science - and I recommend them, with great enthusiasm, to all. Together they illuminate areas of inquiry that may be unfamiliar to contemporary philosophers of mind, and reveal unappreciated subtleties and continuities in theories of mind throughout the history of philosophy.' - Janet Levin, University of Southern California, USA

'A comprehensive and illuminating guide to the history of Western theories of the mind, ranging over every aspect of the enduring philosophical debate, from consciousness to perception, and from will to the passions. These volumes collectively offer a state-of-the-art presentation of the field.' - Robert Pasnau, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9780367734152
Author Margaret Cameron
Format Paperback
Page Count 253
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 430g