Science of Mind

Where does the mind begin and end? Robert Wilson establishes the foundations for the view that the mind extends beyond the boundary of the individual. He blends traditional philosophical analysis, cognitive science, and the history of psychology and the human sciences. Wilson then develops novel accounts of mental representation and consciousness, discussing a range of other issues, such as nativism and the idea of group minds. Boundaries of the Mind re-evaluates the place of the individual in the cognitive, biological and social sciences (what Wilson calls the fragile sciences) with an emphasis on cognition. The book will appeal to a broad range of professionals and students in philosophy, psychology, cognitive science, and the history of the behavioral and human sciences. Robert A. Wilson is professor of philosophy at the University of Alberta. He is author or editor of five other books, including the award-winning The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (MIT Press, 1999).

The approach of the new millennium encourages people to stop and think about where we have been and where we are going. In these essays, all but one written for this book, many of those who have helped to shape the fields of neurocognition, cognitive science, and psychology give their thoughts on the past and future of the science of mind. Ernest R. Hilgard's foreword presents "A Personal View of 20th-Century Psychology: With an Eye to the 21st Century." Some of the essays offer specific ideas about what the future may hold, while others prefer the grand overview. Some touch on the philosophical, social, and scientific implications of the science of the mind; a few border on whimsy or science fiction. All are written to be understood by the informed layperson, as well as professionals and students.