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This book begins with a survey of various readings of Locke as a materialist, as a substance dualist, and as a property dualist, and demonstrates that these inconsistent interpretations result from a general failure of modern commentators to notice the significance of Locke's 'mind-body nominalism'. By illuminating this largely overlooked aspect of Locke's philosophy, this book reveals a common mistake of previous interpretations: that of treating what Locke conceives to be 'nominal' as real. The nominal symmetry that Locke posits between mind and body is distinct from any form of metaphysical dualism, whether substance dualism or property dualism. It is a brand of naturalism, but does not insist that the material is ontologically more basic than the mental or that the former determines the latter. On this view, the material and the mental both relate solely to a certain set of functional roles, rather than to an intrinsic property that plays these roles. The term 'matter' is thus rendered vague, and materialism is conceived as a precariously grounded ontological doctrine. Elaborating on this interpretation of Locke's Essay, this book examines the insightful readings of Locke developed by seventeenth- and eighteenth-century thinkers such as Richard Burthogge, William Carroll, and Joseph Priestley. This book also seeks to clarify what Locke's position would look like in a modern setting by noting some significant parallels with the ideas of leading contemporary philosophers such as Donald Davidson, David Lewis, and Colin McGinn.
List of contents
Introduction
1. Locke and the Mind-Body Problem
2. Mind-Body Nominalism
3. Epistemic Humility
4. The Superadded Power of Thought
5. Burthogge, Carroll, and McGinn
6. A Functionalist Account of Substrata
7. Locke and Dynamic Realism
About the author
Han-Kyul Kim earned his BA at Seoul National University (Korea) and his PhD at the University of York (UK). He taught at Temple University (USA) and is the author of several articles on the history of early modern philosophy.
Summary
Conflicting interpretations have given rise to the accusation that Locke is inconsistent on the mind-body issue. This book proposes a theory of Locke’s philosophy of mind structured around four topics in his Essay: epistemic humility, nominal dualism, mind-body functionalism, and his naturalistic approach to the human mind.
Additional text
"Locke’s Ideas of Mind and Body offers a provocative and highly original interpretation of Locke’s position on the mind-body problem. The book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Locke’s metaphysics that will be of great interest to specialists and students alike."—Nicholas Jolley, University of California, Irvine, USA
