A Brief History of the Soul

"From Homer's dream-demons to contemporary MRI research, the subtle and varied expression of mental life has been an obstacle to the claims of physicalism. A Brief History of the Soul takes a now formidably challenged position. The clarity and fairness of the exposition are exemplary, moving the reader from era to era, and leaving little doubt but that, as "soul" has a rich philosophical history, so too is it likely to have a robust future."
—Daniel N. Robinson, Philosophy Faculty, Oxford University

"Brief or not, this book provides a lucid account of central views of the soul in Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and Contemporary philosophy. The authors skillfully interact with their subject matter, consider physicalist views and objections with fairness and critical clarity, and address mind-body dualism as it has actually been held by its best proponents. The result is that a position that is often wrongly despised on shaky grounds gets a fair and accurate hearing and defense. I highly recommend this excellent book, and look forward to using it."
—Keith E. Yandell, Julius R. Weinberg Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"A Brief History of the Soul accomplishes two important goals: It provides a concise history of the soul without treating that history as anachronistic, and it constantly relates its topics to contemporary issues in philosophy of mind. I enthusiastically recommend it, and will use it in my own philosophy of mind courses."
—J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University