思考という言葉を当たり前のように使っている私たちですが、思考とはどのように脳の中で実現され、思考しているときと他の精神状態との違いはどこにあるのでしょうか。場所によって思考の違いはあるのか、思考と言語に関係性はあるのか。また、思考は行動に対してどのような責任があるのでしょうか。私たちは何を知り、何を知らないのか、哲学、心理学、神経科学、人類学の研究を通し、思考について徹底検証します。
   

• A lively and accessible introduction to the nature of thought
• Establishes the fundamental differences between thought and other mental states
• Explores and highlights our amazing capacity for thought
• Looks at the interaction between thought, rationality, and our concept of the abstract

   
There is no denying that thinking comes naturally to human beings. But what are thoughts? How is thought realized in the brain? Does thinking occur in public or is it a purely private affair? Do young children and non-human animals think? Is human thought the same everywhere, or are there culturally specific modes of thought? What is the relationship between thought and language? What kind of responsibility do we have for our thoughts? 

In this compelling Very Short Introduction, Tim Bayne looks at the nature of thought. Beginning with questions about what thought is and what distinguishes it from other kinds of mental states, he goes on to examine various interpretations of thought from philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology. 

By exploring the logical structures of thought and the relationship between thought and other mental phenomena, as well as the mechanisms that make thought possible and the cultural variations that may exist in our thought processes, Bayne looks at what we know - and don't know - about our great capacity for thought.