Abstract

The thesis makes use of the framework of action and life to consider four philosophical theories of mind, enunciated in the writings of Rene Descartes, David Hume, William James, and Thomas Nagel. Showing how each theory makes an appeal to action or life in order to attempt to provide a characterization of mind that is not too restrictive nor too lax is the concern of the extensive historical portion of the thesis. It is on the basis of the success or failure of these appeals to the mind's living experience of its own activity that the four theories are evaluated. By way of conclusion, the reprecussions of these successes and failures for the contemporary activity of philosophizing about mind are briefly examined.