Call for Book Proposals: Studies in Brain and Mind

Studies in Brain and Mind is a book series published by Springer. It covers all areas in which philosophy and neuroscience intersect: philosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of psychiatry, neurophilosophy, and neuroethics.

Under the previous editor, John Bickle, the series published several high quality books (see: http://www.springer.com/series/6540 for a list, but the series was inactive in recent years. The series is now being relaunched with a new Editor-in-Chief (yours truly) and Editorial Board:

Berit Brogaard (UM St Louis)
Carl Craver (Wash U)
Eduoard Machery (Pitt)
Oron Shagrir (Hebrew University in Jerusalem)
Mark Sprevak (Edimburgh U)

We aim to publish technical books for an academic audience of graduate students and up. We see the series as a great opportunity for the field, providing a venue for specialists as well as junior authors. Some high quality book projects are too specialized or their authors are too junior for other publishers. Studies in Mind and Brain fills this gap. We hope to make Studies in Brain and Mind an excellent addition to the development of interdisciplinary research in philosophy and neuroscience.

Every book published in the series will be available simultaneously in print and as e-book in SpringerLink. If a library has purchased the Springer e-book package, visitors of the library are able to download these PDF’s for free or order a paperback for Euro: 24.95 / USD 24,95.

The series aims for a high level of clarity, rigor, novelty, and scientific competence. Book proposals and complete manuscripts of 200 or more pages are welcome. Initial proposals can be sent to me at piccininig@umsl.edu.

For more information, see the Series website or contact me.

Please help spread the news if you have a chance (e.g., on other pertinent blogs).

Papineau on the Rise of Physicalism

I just read David Papineau's excellent and provocative 2001 article, "The Rise of Physicalism ". He argues that physicalism is supported by the principle of the completeness of physics (sometimes known as the causal closure of the physical), and that theoretical and empirical evidence for such a principle slowly built up over the centuries but became overwhelming only in the middle of the 20th century, when — not coincidentally, if Papineau is right — contemporary physicalism replaced phemomenalism, vitalism, and other previously popular views and became a dominant view in metaphysics (especially with respect to the mind).

Papineau's paper is by necessity quick and occasionally explicitly speculative on how the history went. Does anyone know whether Papineau's story is correct? Is there any more detailed and recent historical literature on the topics covered by Papineau (conservation laws in physics, vitalism and its demise, physicalism about the mind) that supports (or undermine, as the case may be) Papineau's account?

(cross-posted at Brains.)