The Rediscovery of the Mind - Classic Text | Alexandria
The Rediscovery of the Mind (1992), authored by philosopher John Searle, stands as a seminal work in contemporary philosophy of mind that boldly challenges the dominant materialist and computational theories of consciousness. This influential text represents Searle's systematic attempt to reorient the discourse on consciousness away from reductionist approaches while asserting the irreducibly subjective nature of mental phenomena. Searle, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, crafted this work during a period of intensifying debate about artificial intelligence and the nature of consciousness in cognitive science.
Published against the backdrop of the cognitive revolution and advances in neuroscience, The Rediscovery of the Mind emerged at a crucial juncture when mechanistic explanations of consciousness held sway in academic circles. Searle's work built upon his earlier criticisms of artificial intelligence, most notably his 1980 "Chinese Room" thought experiment, while expanding into a