How John Searle's Theory of the Background Offers the Groundwork for a Revolutionary Philosophy of Mind: A Critical Examination with a Suggestion for Expansion

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Pages:264
ISBN:1-4955-1146-2
978-1-4955-1146-4
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This book provides, in Part One, a critical examination of John Searle's Theory of the Background, which offers the groundwork for a revolutionary theory of mind. In Part Two, Kort offers a suggestion for developing and expanding it. More specifically, Kort takes it that Searle's insights about the Background are of great value, but his theory is underdeveloped because of restrictions imposed by Searle's methodology. Having identified the restrictions and their sources, Kort re-directs Searle's helpful insights about the Background and introduces possibilities for how it may be developed (the "Navigational" alternative).

Table of Contents

Preface
Part I: Searle's Theory of The Background: A Critical Examination
Chapter 1: The Mind Trap
I. To Start: A Puzzle
II. A New Relation between the Mind and the Brain: CB/RI
III. CB/RI and the Mind Trap
IV. Putting the Pieces Together
V. Concluding Remarks

Chapter 2: Some Challenges
I. Setting the Stage
II. Searle's Philosophy of Mind and the Background
III. Stroud's Background Worry
IV. Concluding Remarks

Chapter 3: Searle's Gambit
I. The Setup
II. The Epistemic Insight and WHA
III. Examples of the Transcendental Move
IV. Another transcendental Argument
V. A Limitation on WHA
VI. Taking Stock
VII. Concluding Remarks

Chapter 4: Searle's Two Projects
I. L+M and EP
II. The Trilogy and Lasting Restrictions
III. Lasting Effects and Limitations to the Background
IV. Back to the Network
V. The Network "Threads"
VI. The Background (runs amok)
VII. Concluding Remarks

Part II: The Background and the Navigator: A Suggestion for Expansion
Chapter 5: The Navigator and Mineural Feels
I. Introduction
II. Example Cases
III. Some Simple Experiments
IV. Mineural Feels

Chapter 6: The Navigator and the Background
I. Introduction
II. Some Further Points about the Navigator
III. Navigation and the Awareness Coordinator (AC)
IV. Making Sense of Navigational Promptings and AC
V. Navigational Communication an AC
VI. The Navigator and WHA
VII. The Navigator and CB/RI
VIII. Concluding Remarks

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