ABSTRACT
The Concept of Mind, published in 1949, is Gilbert Ryle's first and most important book. In it he explains his view of philosophical method—that is, the way he approaches philosophical problems—and then applies that method to a major philosophical problem. The problem he tackles is the relationship between mind and body. The book had a huge influence on the way about the mind. Ryle both attacked traditional views of the mind and also put forward his own approach, which was as controversial as it was important. The Concept of Mind is still widely read and popular with both students and the general public. Ryle thinks dualism is a mistake. He calls the dualist view of the mind "the ghost in the machine", saying that dualists think of the body as a machine and of the mind as a ghost that inhabits it. Instead, he argues that the mind and the body are not distinct entities.
