In Mindfucking Colin McGinn investigates and clarifies this phenomenon, taking in the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare and modern techniques of thought control. McGinn assembles the conceptual components of this most complex of concepts - trust, deception, emotion, manipulation, false belief, vulnerability - and explores its very nature. Is philosophy, as a discipline, a type of mindfuck, asks McGinn? Is romantic love a species of mindfuck? The essence is psychological upheaval or disorientation, often abetted by the weaknesses of the victim. Jealousy, insecurity and prejudice can aid the mindfuck. Delusion is the general result, sometimes insanity. How mindfucked are you? Itβs hard to say from the inside, but being aware of the phenomenon offers at least some protection. About the Author: Colin McGinn is professor of philosophy at the University of Miami and is the author of over a dozen works of philosophy, including his recent autobiographical The Making of A Philosopher. |