The Mind and the Brain Being the Authorised Translation of L'Âme et le Corps

This thoughtful treatise opens with a clear‑cut problem: how to distinguish the elusive realm of mind from the solid world of matter. By pointing out that everything we can know falls into countless categories—color, shape, weight, pleasure, life or death—the author shows why the boundary between thought and stone is not as obvious as it first appears. He invites listeners to join a careful, almost forensic, examination of what truly belongs to the mental side of experience.

To navigate this maze, the writer proposes a two‑step criterion. First, the division must be the deepest, most permanent split possible within all that is knowable. Second, the search follows the traditional split between psychology, where mental phenomena emerge, and physics, which maps material reality. The opening chapters lay out this methodical framework, setting the stage for a nuanced dialogue that bridges philosophy, science, and everyday intuition.