The work of the American philosopher Wilfrid Sellars continues tohave a significant impact on the contemporary philosophical scene.His writings have influenced major thinkers such as Rorty,McDowell, Brandom, and Dennett, and many of Sellars basicconceptions, such as the logical space of reasons, the myth of thegiven, and the manifest and scientific images, have become standardphilosophical terms. Often, however, recent uses of these terms donot reflect the richness or the true sense of Sellars originalideas. This book gets to the heart of Sellars philosophy andprovides students with a comprehensive critical introduction to hislifes work.The book is structured around what Sellars himself regarded asthe philosophers overarching task: to achieve a coherent vision ofreality that will finally overcome the continuing clashes betweenthe world as common sense takes it to be and the world as sciencereveals it to be. It provides a clear analysis of Sellarsgroundbreaking philosophy of mind, his novel theory ofconsciousness, his defense of scientific realism, and histhoroughgoing naturalism with a normative turn. Providing a livelyexamination of Sellars work through the central problem of what itmeans to be a human being in a scientific world, this book will bea valuable resource for all students of philosophy.
