Explaining the Brain

Carl F. Craver is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis.

• Preface ; 1. Introduction: Starting With Neuroscience ; 2. Explanation and Causal Relevance ; 3. Causal Relevance and Manipulation ; 4. The Norms of Mechanistic Explanation ; 5. A Field-Guide to Levels ; 6. Nonfundamental Explanation ; 7. The Mosaic Unity of Neuroscience

Review from previous edition Given how much attention has been paid to neuroscience, it is little surprising how slow philosophy of science has been in exploring the philosophical issues involved in explaining the brain and using the brain to explain behaviour. Carl Craver's book...represents this new direction, and an excellent addition to a burgeoning field it is...Explaining the Brain is timely, well-written, and meticulously argued...I highly recommend this text to anyone with any interest in how theories in neuroscience are constructed...Craver's book set the bar high. It will be difficult indeed to surpass this work in the near future.