Details

Subject(s)

• Philosophy of mind [Browse]
• Language and languages—Philosophy [Browse]
• Psycholinguistics [Browse]

Summary note

"When Minds Converse argues that we do not speak because our human minds are special; our minds are special because we can speak. It maintains that six capacities characteristic of our species emerge as social skills in conversing with one another and that we internalize those skills in mentally communing with ourselves in thought. Philip Pettit defends a society-first view of the human mind and more broadly, the human soul, gesturing at how this philosophical anthropology can support universal ideals of equality, respect and freedom. Pettit offers an empirically informed but philosophical defence of his view. In an extended thought experiment, a conceptual genealogy, he explores the likely, unplanned effects that the first appearance of language would have on the minds of humanoid creatures otherwise like us." -- Adapted from publisher's description.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• Preliminaries to the argument
• Agency with judgement
• Rationality with reasoning
• Perception with percipience
• Normativity and value
• Responsibility and free will
• Personhood and self-identity.

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ISBN

• 9780198863113
• 019886311X ((hardback))

OCLC

1463506078

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