In his work, the philosopher John Haugeland (1945–2010) proposed a radical expansion of philosophy’s conceptual toolkit, calling for a wider range of resources for understanding the mind, the world, and how they relate. Haugeland argued that “giving a damn” is essential for having a mind—suggesting that traditional approaches to cognitive science mistakenly overlook the relevance of caring to the understanding of mindedness. Haugeland’s determination to expand philosophy’s array of concepts led him to write on a wide variety of subjects that may seem unrelated—from topics in cognitive science and philosophy of mind to examinations of such figures as Martin Heidegger and Thomas Kuhn. Haugeland’s two books with the MIT Press, Artificial Intelligence and Mind Design, show the range of his interests.

This book offers a collection of essays in conversation with Haugeland’s work. The essays, by prominent scholars, extend Haugeland’s work on a range of contemporary topics in philosophy of mind—from questions about intentionality to issues concerning objectivity and truth to the work of Heidegger. Giving a Damn also includes a previously unpublished paper by Haugeland, “Two Dogmas of Rationalism,” as well as critical responses to it. Finally, an appendix offers Haugeland’s outline of Kant’s "Transcendental Deduction of the Categories.”

“This thoughtful, stimulating book brings a constellation of stellar philosophers together as partners in John Haugeland’s lifelong project of taking cognitive science beyond its roots in Enlightenment rationalism and representationalism and bringing it into conversation with Heidegger’s appreciation of the significance for cognition of our being not just organically embodied and socially embedded, but existentially engaged.”

—Robert Brandom, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh; author of Making It Explicit and From Empiricism to Expressivism

“Giving a Damn is the perfect title for this superb collection of essays in honor of the late John Haugeland’s profound contribution to Heidegger studies, philosophy of mind, and the question concerning what it means to be–and to be human. The volume brings together work of the highest quality on existential phenomenology, artificial intelligence, intentionality, thought, truth, love, and death. It is a fitting tribute to the memory of an extraordinary thinker.”

—Taylor Carman, Professor of Philosophy, Barnard College, Columbia University; author of Heidegger’s Analytic and Merleau-Ponty

Zed Adams is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research.

Jacob Browning is a PhD student at the New School for Social Research.