This book presents a contemporary application of Aristotle's metaphysical concepts to the domains of biology and psychobiology. Professor Cooney reconstructs the form/matter or hylomorphic analysis of organisms and mental functions by linking Aristotle's concept of form to that of information in biological control systems. The resulting hylomorphic theory challenges the orthodoxy of contemporary philosophy by offering an alternative to both materialism and dualism. Professor Cooney makes his book accessible to a wide audience by providing clear digests of the scientific information and philosophical issues relevant to his arguments.
"In his book, 'A Hylomorphic Theory of Mind', philosopher Brian Cooney addresses one of the most profound problems of human concern: What is the nature and explanation of subjective experience? Hylomorphism is a philosophical theory which incorporates both the observable, measurable aspects of organisms and their unmeasurable aspects, such as the subjective perception of colors. The reader is certain to be intrigued by Cooney's development of what he terms 'self-instantiation' in his analysis of the inexplicable. Unlike most contemporary philosophical writers, he takes into account the human inheritance of evolutionarily ancient systems of the forebrain that participate in innate forms of behavior and in emotional experience." (Paul D. MacLean, M.D., Senior Research Scientist, National Institute of Mental Health)