~ 1921 ~
Bertrand Russell's book, The Analysis of Mind, attempts to delve into the human mind and its workings. Starting from physics, where things like force and mass can be defined precisely, Russell notes that physics has flaws in explaining our everyday notions that are most flawed. He moves up the scale of complexity to show how knowledge in biology is qualitative, not quantitative, making every new species discovered a surprise. Finally, he examines our own behavior and highlights the difficulty in predicting human behavior, something that is contrasted with the precision in predicting physical behavior. As the book delves into the mind-body problem, Russell's ideas become outdated, but the book is still an essential read for those interested in the connection between mind and matter.