Some Brief Essays on Mind

Abstract

These essays were written largely as notes to myself while I was on a very productive sabbatical leave at the University of Rochester, during the 1988-89 academic year. I am happy to acknowledge my benefit from discussions with Keri Jackson, Rosalie Hall, Alice Kyburg, Dorit Bar-On, and Elizabeth Hinkelman; these discussions prompted a great deal of what I have to say here. Still, the essays remain in highly preliminary form, not yet worked out to the extent that I would like, and certainly not to be taken as representative of the views of Keri, Rosalie, Alice. Dorit, and Elizabeth. The essays are presented here in the order in which they were written: 1. Robots, Us, and the Future 2. Pains and Brains 3. Brain, Knowledge, and Experience 4. Intentionality and Defaults