Three Faces of Desire

"The central claim of this book, which identifies desire as essentially grounded in the reward function, rather than in terms of its more obvious links with motivation and pleasure, is a major contribution to philosophy. In addition, we get a persuasive representational theory of pleasure. Both theses are original, philosophically subtle and scientifically informed, and Schroeder defends them with spectacular virtuosity. Schroeder's writing is energetic, pithy and direct, and as easy to follow as the subject allows. This is a splendid book, which should attract wide attention."--Ronald de Sousa, University of Toronto

"A refreshing reexamination of desire theoryThree Faces of Desire introduces a rich body of neuroscientific data that has been neglected by philosophy of mind for some time, but because of the use Schroeder has made of it, it is doubtful that this neglect will persist for long."-Anthony Landreth, Philosophical Psychology

"...ambitious, informative, and very often insightful..." --Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"Three Faces of Desire is an interesting contribution to the philosophical debate about the nature of desire. The infusion of neuroscientific data should provide a new focus for this debate. Schroeder deserves praise for directing us towards a new understanding of the nature of desire."--Metapsychology

"In these pages, Schroeder demolishes prevailing philosophical theories of desire and defends an exciting new account based on recent advances in neuroscience. Schroeder's conversational prose makes the book accessible to uninitiated readers and entertaining for all. For philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists interested in motivation, it is absolutely essential. Desire, that elusive and unstable pillar of folk psychology, has finally found a secure foundation in the circuit board of the brain."--Jesse J. Prinz, University of North Carolina

"Schroeder's account of desire is marvelously integrative and original. Sophisticated in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience, the book weaves these fields into a seamless whole. The result is fascinating, first-rate scholarship." --Kent Berridge, University of Michigan