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" What am I? : "
Joseph Almog
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BL
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| Record Number
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581242
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| Doc. No
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GBA1W2605b410461
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| Main Entry
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Almog, Joseph
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| Title & Author
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What am I? : : Descartes and the mind-body problem /\ Joseph Almog
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| Page. NO
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xviii, 139 pages ;; 22 cm
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| ISBN
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0195146468 (alk. paper)
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: 9780195146462 (alk. paper)
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| Bibliographies/Indexes
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Includes bibliographical references and index
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| Abstract
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"In his Meditations, Rene Descartes asks, "what am I?" His initial answer is "a man." But he soon discards it: "But what is a man? Shall I say 'a rational animal'? No: for then I should inquire what an animal is, what rationality is, and in this way one question would lead down the slope to harder ones." Instead of understanding what a man is, Descartes shifts to two new questions: "What is Mind?" and "What is Body?" These questions develop into Descartes's main philosophical preoccupation: the Mind-Body distinction." "How can Mind and Body be independent entities, yet joined - essentially so - within a single human being? If Mind and Body are really distinct, are human beings merely a "construction"? On the other hand, if we respect the integrity of humans, are Mind and Body merely aspects of a human being and not subjects in and of themselves?" "For centuries, philosophers have considered this classic philosophical puzzle. Now, in this compact, engaging, and long-awaited work, UCLA philosopher Joseph Almog closely decodes the French philosopher's argument for distinguishing between the human mind and body while maintaining simultaneously their essential integration in a human being. He argues that Descartes constructed a solution whereby the trio of Human Mind, Body, and Being are essentially interdependent yet remain each a genuine individual subject." "Almog's reading not only steers away from the most popular interpretations of Descartes, but also represents a scholar coming to grips directly with Descartes himself. In doing so, Almog creates a work that Cartesian scholars will value, and that will also prove indispensable to philosophers of language, ontology, and the metaphysics of mind."--Jacket
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| Subject
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Descartes, René,1596-1650
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| Subject
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Mind and body-- History-- 17th century
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| Dewey Classification
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128/.2
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| LC Classification
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B1878.M55A46 2002
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