The Architecture of the Imagination: New Essays on Pretence, Possibility, and Fiction

by Shaun Nichols (Editor)

This volume brings together specially written essays by leading researchers on the propositional imagination. This is the mental capacity we exploit when we imagine that Holmes has a bad habit or that there are zombies. It plays an essential role in philosophical theorizing, engaging with fiction, and indeed in everyday life. The Architecture of the Imagination capitalizes on recent attempts to give a cognitive account of this capacity, extending the theoretical picture and exploring the philosophical implications.

Genres: Philosophy

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Pierre A Renaud]

"We reason with imagined truths much like actual ones. Philosophers call this the "common code." The problem is this: if we reason with true things and imagined things with the same cognitive processes, how is it that we don't actually believe the things we imagine? For example, if I told you to imagine that you could breathe underwater, what stops you from trying to the next time you take a swim? How does your mind keep your imaginings from contaminating your beliefs about reality? There are several ideas out there, but the debate about the answer is still on-going." - Jim Davies http://tinyurl.com/8zfwcf5

[laura]

for a seminar-- cognitive attitudes-- that i'm hoping to audit a little of (led by one neil van leeuwen).