RD BK X Mind cannot be reduced to matter because meaning cannot be reduced to mechanism.

 A

I could not find a reliable public table of contents for Meaning as the Mark of Mind, so I cannot give a fully verified chapter-by-chapter summary without access to the actual text. (Rye Field Books)

However, based on the book’s title — A Philosophical Case for the Irreducibility of Mind — and its placement within philosophy of mind discussions, I can provide a probable academic-style chapterwise gist and tagline built around the book’s central themes of meaning, intentionality, consciousness, and the uniqueness of mind.

Chapterwise Gist and Tagline

Meaning as the Mark of Mind — Emanuel B. David

Chapter	Gist	Tagline
1. Introduction to the Problem of Mind	Introduces the central philosophical question: What distinguishes mind from matter? Examines reductionism, physicalism, and the challenge of explaining consciousness.	“Mind cannot be reduced to mere mechanism.”
2. The Concept of Meaning	Explores meaning as a uniquely mental phenomenon. Discusses how thoughts, symbols, and language refer to things beyond themselves.	“Meaning points beyond physical structure.”
3. Intentionality and Mental States	Examines intentionality—the “aboutness” of thought—as the defining feature of mind. Draws from traditions influenced by Franz Brentano.	“Every mind is directed toward something.”
4. Consciousness and Subjective Experience	Analyzes subjective awareness and qualia. Argues that inner experience cannot be fully captured by objective science alone.	“Experience is more than observable behavior.”
5. Language, Symbols, and Thought	Investigates how language expresses meaning and how mental content differs from computational processing.	“Words carry meaning because minds do.”
6. Critique of Materialism	Challenges theories claiming the brain alone explains consciousness and meaning. Evaluates reductionist neuroscience and computational theories.	“Brains process; minds understand.”
7. Meaning and Human Understanding	Discusses interpretation, rationality, and understanding as fundamentally mental acts.	“Understanding cannot be mechanized completely.”
8. Selfhood and Personal Identity	Explores the nature of the self, continuity of consciousness, and the unity of mental life.	“The self is the center of meaning.”
9. Mind, Reality, and Knowledge	Connects mind with epistemology and metaphysics, asking how meaning shapes our experience of reality.	“Reality is known through meaningful consciousness.”
10. Conclusion: The Irreducibility of Mind	Summarizes the argument that meaning and intentionality show that mind cannot be fully explained in purely physical terms.	“Mind remains irreducible because meaning remains irreducible.”

Central Thesis of the Book

The likely core argument of the book is that meaning is the defining mark of mind. Physical objects may possess structure and causation, but only minds possess:

• intentionality,

• interpretation,

• understanding,

• and meaningful awareness.

Therefore, consciousness cannot be completely reduced to physics, biology, or computation alone.

This position connects with debates in:

• Philosophy of Mind

• Phenomenology

• Cognitive Science

• and theories of intentionality and mental representation.