The Concept of Mind

This book would be twice as good if it were half as long. He argues against Descartes' mind in the machine idea & makes some points that have become well know, such as category mistakes and knowing how versus knowing that, but he is not a philosopher in the same league as his predecessor, R. G. Collingwood or his successor P. F. Strawson. Time would be much better spent reading A. J. Ayer's The problem of knowledge.

A thought-provoking treatment of the concept of mind by an unappreciated philosopher. The book's well written, concise and covers areas of mind relevant to AI, contemporary debates about cognitivist notions of intelligent behavior. Highly recommended reading, especially distinctions between "knowing what," and know how."

As expected

An excellent insight into the nuances of everyday communication . As a layman it has inspired me to want to learn more about the responses we give in casual and formal conversation.This is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to communicate more effectively.

Gilbert Ryle wrote this classic exposition on the mind-body problem in philosophy with a view to dissipate a myth fundamental to religion and philosophy. His cogent exposition leads us to see mind in persons as other than a "Ghost in a Machine." More than this, though, his comprehensive scrutiny of the many elements of the life of the mind constitutes an incisive study of the synergy of mind and body in an integrated life. Ryle exercises consummate skill in avoiding technical jargon to present a refreshing style for treatment of a difficult and elusive subject. One of his favorite analogies is to compare a study of thinking as "like trying to catch a jellyfish with a fine hook." A thoughtful and careful reader will revel in Ryle's success with his daunting task.

For anyone who felt even slightly uncomfortable while reading Descartes' meditations, but didn't quite know why, this is a great book. Ryle makes a real effort to get his point across with numerous examples and even though his ideas are dense, it makes for a fairly easy read. Although Ryle's philosophy does have some issues of its own, it is a very thought provoking alternative to Descartes' mind body dualism.

I will make this review short and sweet. I was hoping to avoid paying an outragous price for the kindle edition of the 2000 re-release of Concept of Mind (with forward by Daniel Dennett). Thus, I bought this edition.This is a mistake, because as inexpensive as this edition is, I got what I payed for. There are typos about every 2 paragraphs or so. I tried to read it for several pages, but ultimately gave up, as the typos are too distracting.I will probably find this used somewhere, as the 2000 rereleased edition (kindle format) is simply too expensive.

A worthwhile read to contrast with the Cartesian distinction between mind and body.

I haven't yet read this so my stars are worthless but I write to point out that the Kindle edition is NOT the Penguin edition and does not include the introduction by D.Dennett.

Ryle teaches us how to talk about mind, brain and behaviour without misunderstanding what we're talking about. This was a revelation to me when studying psychology, and continues to provide a means of clarity when discussing other subjects - nature and mythology for instance, or religion vs spirituality. Any student of science or philosophy will benefit from "getting" Ryle.

I'd forgetten the signifcance of this work on the dualism of Western thought. It covers not only brain/intellect, but also body/soul and, flesh/ spirit. The English equivalent of Heigegger of the time

This brings back memories as an undergraduate around 1970. Then I thought it a bit 'old hat'. Now, I again admired it's clarity and lucidity. Perhaps less hair makes the hat fit at last.

love the book however, there were six pages missing