ComplexityandtheFunctionofMindinNature(CambridgeStudiesinPhilosophyandBiology)

Thisbookexplainstherelationshipbetweenintelligenceandenvironmentalcomplexity,andinsodoinglinksphilosophyofmindtomoregeneralissuesabouttherelationsbetweenorganismsandenvironments,andtothegeneralpatternof'externalist'explanations.Theauthorprovidesabiologicalapproachtotheinvestigationofmindandcognitioninnature.Inparticularheexplorestheideathatthefunctionofcognitionistoenableagentstodealwithenvironmentalcomplexity.ThehistoryoftheideaintheworkofDeweyandSpencerisconsidered,asistheimpactofrecentevolutionarytheoryonourunderstandingoftheplaceofmindinnature.