Problems in Philosophy

This advanced introductory text offers a synoptic view of philosophical inquiry, discussing such topics as consciousness, the self, meaning, free will, the a priori, and knowledge. The emphasis is on the fundamental intractability of these questions, and a theory is proposed as to why the human mind has so much difficulty in resolving them. This theory turns upon a naturalistic picture of the scope and limits of human intelligence. 1. Philosophical Perplexity.

2. Consciousness.

3. Self.

4. Meaning.

5. Free Will.

6. The A Priori.

7. Knowledge.

8. Reason, Truth and Philosophy.

9. The Future of Philosophy.

"In my view, this is an admirable book. It is concise, well organized, and clearly and vigorously written. It presents a real solution to a real and extremely important problem. It is perhaps the only solution to this problem that is currently available." Peter Van Inwagen, The Philosophical Review

"Colin McGinn's thoughts about the nature and state of philosophical inquiry are lucid and suggestive, and, in my personal opinion, on the right track. They merit careful reading, and should place many of the fundamental questions of our intellectual tradition in a new and more wholesome light." Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Colin McGinn is Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and lives in Manhattan. He was previously Wilde Reader in Mental Philosophy at the University of Oxford. He is the author of several books, including Mental Content (1989), The Problem of Consciousness (1991), Moral Literacy (1992), as well as a novel, The Space Trap (1992). Problems in Philosophy is a critical introduction to philosophy. The author offers a synoptic view of philosophical inquiry, discussing such topics as reason and truth, consciousness, the self, meaning, free will, the a priori, and knowledge. The emphasis is on the fundamental intractability of these issues, and a theory is proposed as to why the human mind has so much difficulty resolving them.