The Social Mind

We spend a lot of time thinking about other people: their motivations, what they are thinking, why they want particular things. Sometimes we are aware of it, but it often occurs without conscious thought, and we can respond appropriately to other people''s thoughts in a diverse range of situations.

The Social Mind: A Philosophical Introduction examines the cognitive capacities that facilitate this amazing ability. It explains and critiques key philosophical theories about how we think about other people''s minds, measuring them against empirical findings from neuroscience, anthropology, developmental psychology and cognitive ethology. Some of the fascinating questions addressed include:

• How do we think about other people''s minds? Do we put ourselves in another''s shoes to work out what they think?
• When do we need to think about another person''s thoughts?
• What kinds of thoughts do we attribute to others? Are they propositiona