Heavy on neuroscience, light on philosophy.

As other reviewers have noted, Professor Grim stands firmly within the physicalist (if non-reductive) camp of the philosophers of mind. This would not have been an issue if he didn’t let his predilections bias the structure and content of the course.

But, unfortunately, he does.

Grim spends very little time exploring the gamut of alternative, non-physicalist theories of mind: hylomorphism, an Aristotelian theory of mind which has been gaining prominence among contemporary philosophers, is merely outlined in about five minutes and never referred to again in the entire course. Any mind-body philosophy course worth its salt would thoroughly explore the most popular arguments made in favor of each theory, as articulated by its most respected philosophical defenders, and then present the counter-arguments that are most commonly brought to bear against the theory. Unfortunately, Professor Grim only employs this procedure when treating of the various materialist theories of mind and when he outlines substance dualism (but, of course, he fails to mention any ways in which the objections made against substance dualism have been or could possibly be addressed).

Instead, Grim deluges the listener with an endless stream of recent neurological and psychological findings, all of which – how shocking – appear to confirm his own physicalist anthropology. Again, this would not have been terrible if Grim gave dualists, idealists, etc., a chance to reconcile their own theories with the scientific data he presents. But he does not. He merely declares that such data make more sense on a physicalist theory of mind and passes on as though non-physicalist views have nothing more to add to the debate.

While the studies and experiments that Grim relates are quite fascinating and should be given careful consideration in philosophical debates on the nature of mind, they were given far too much emphasis and discussed at too great length for a course entitled, “Mind-Body Philosophy”. Professor Grim is obviously a knowledgeable and incisive thinker, but the lecture series he has created does not capture the richness and variety of the philosophy of mind. Those looking for a comprehensive introduction to the field should look elsewhere.

8 people found this helpful

Another Great Courses Homerun!

Any additional comments?

In this course, an old crusty philosophical problem crashes headlong into bleeding edge science. In 1,000 years from now, will we have a decisive answer to the philosophical puzzle of consciousness? I don't know. But in 100 years from now, it seems likely we'll have made exciting progress into the relevant neuroscience and hopefully AI as well. This is why I believe most contemporary academics - as Professor Grim states in the first lecture - are materialists; this is where the progress is.

Also for this reason, the course really starts for me around Lecture 15 on machine consciousness, and is in full swing by Lecture 19 on the binding problem. So if you are not impressed in the beginning, make sure to ride it out. Lecture 21 "Of Mind, Materialism, and Zombies" is probably the coolest and most intellectually stimulating single Great Courses lecture. Not to say the course as a whole is the best - although it's up there - but that one lecture alone is worth this whole course.

If you are interested in further (very technical and abstract) knowledge on the AI side of this coin, I highly recommend On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins, as I fully recommend this course.

39 people found this helpful

Clearly from the materialistic perspective.

What made the experience of listening to Mind-Body Philosophy the most enjoyable?

Hey the best thing about this is it puts forth the best case for a materialist view of the mind as just part of the brain. Unfortunately it is too early to conclude that the mind is just an illusion we have about our brains. This course makes the best effort to come to that conclusion.

10 people found this helpful

The mind-brain dilemma

There is an assumption in Western thought, medicine, and philosophy that the mind resides in and someday will be found in the brain. In this lecture series the philosophical discussions are compelling, but more recent neuroscience research makes the neurological information outdated. Which is understandable, considering the speed at which research is advancing knowledge faster than it can be reported.
The section on dissociation is in error, as well-trained PTSD and DID clinicians can attest.
As the lecturer states at the end, the discussions here would do well to include Buddhist philosophical perspectives. Time and time again, Buddhist thought is often proven correct, when scientific and medical research finally creates measurement tools sensitive enough to evaluate the nuances of mind processes, perception, and meta-awareness.

2 people found this helpful

Engaging and challenging

This is an excellent survey of the subject. it is the sort of experience which will leave you wanting to find further courses on the various thinkers and ideas he discusses.

6 people found this helpful

Eye-opening...and brain perplexing.

This is an excellent series of lectures, in which the lecturer presents you with all the info you need to come up with your own educated opinion on one of the most complex problems in history.

1 person found this helpful

Bit repetitive

Each lesson with a long summary. The author often restates the summary multiple times during the lesson, then ends with a final restating of the summary. starting and ending with a summary is a good way to teach an idea. However, it starts to feel repetitive.

1 person found this helpful

Enjoyable!

A worthwhile great course. A thoughtful survey of the present status of various disciplines relating to the mind body phenomena.

1 person found this helpful

AWESOME BOOK!

Would you listen to Mind-Body Philosophy again? Why?

I already listened to this book about ten times. I'm saying "about", because I choose different lectures and I repeat them over and over. I finally bought the transcript and I read it the same way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mind-Body Philosophy?

This is a very long course, so it has many "memorable" moments. I think that the history of William James, the binding in the brain, the story of Touring, the determinism versus free will, to name a few.

Which scene was your favorite?

Imagining the binding in the brain. Or rather the search for consciousness.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

What and how we are.

Any additional comments?

This book elevated my interest in quantum physics as well in other philosophical questions. I felt that I was trusted enough as a reader or listener, to engage my own reasoning and intuition in search for the answers to the very basic questions, that in a regular life are simply overlooked.

3 people found this helpful

Spotlight of Clarity on the Mind-Body Problem

A masterful elucidation of an age old philosophical problem. Narration was excellent making listening easy and enjoyable. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Mind-Body Problem.

3 people found this helpful