Alexander Bain: Philosopher of Mind

Alexander Bain (1818–1903) was once Britain's greatest philosopher of mind. Author of The Senses and the Intellect (1855) and The Emotions and the Will (1859), he articulated a comprehensive theory of the human mind, integrating cognitive, developmental, and evolutionary psychology with neuroscience and philosophy. John Stuart Mill utilized Bain's theory of moral judgment to clarify and defend utilitarianism. Charles Darwin leaned on Bain's theory of conscience to explain the evolution of morality. William James used Bain's texts to teach philosophy of mind at Harvard, launching psychology as an independent department of inquiry within American universities. Charles Sanders Peirce said Bain's theory of belief was the axiom of pragmatism. Bain also founded the journal Mind, doing more than anyone else in his day to build the cognitive sciences into the field it has become. Mill is still celebrated for his analyses of liberalism and utilitarianism. Darwin remains famous for his theory of natural selection. And James is well known as the father of both pragmatism and empirical psychology in America. Bain stands behind these accomplishments, his role unacknowledged. Alexander Bain: Philosopher of Mind seeks to rectify this oversight. After introducing the reader to Bain's life and early work, Zimmerman critically analyses Bain's solution to the mind-body problem, describes Bain's contributions to logic and his disagreement with Mill over the meaning of proper names, engages with Bain's theories of freewill, conscience, and moral responsibility, and explains Bain's theory of belief and its role in the genesis of pragmatism. The philosophy that emerges will engage philosophers of mind, cognitive scientists, historians of philosophy, and anyone interested in the "Darwinian revolution" in our understanding of life on Earth. Read more