The Conscious Mind
In Search of a Fundamental Theory
David J. Chalmers(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 1. August 1996
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-19-510553-7 (ISBN)
Description
What is consciousness? How do physical processes in the brain give rise to the self-aware mind and to feelings as profoundly varied as love or hate, aesthetic pleasure or spiritual yearning? These questions today are among the most hotly debated issues among scientists and philosophers, and we have seen in recent years superb volumes by such eminent figures as Francis Crick, Daniel C. Dennett, Gerald Edelman, and Roger Penrose, all firing volleys in what has come to be called the consciousness wars. Now, in The Conscious Mind, philosopher David J. Chalmers offers a cogent analysis of this heated debate as he unveils a major new theory of consciousness, one that rejects the prevailing reductionist trend of science, while offering provocative insights into the relationship between mind and brain.
Writing in a rigorous, thought-provoking style, the author takes us on a far-reaching tour through the philosophical ramifications of consciousness. Chalmers convincingly reveals how contemporary cognitive science and neurobiology have failed to explain how and why mental events emerge from physiological occurrences in the brain. He proposes instead that conscious experience must be understood in an entirely new light - as an irreducible entity (similar to such physical properties as time, mass, and space) that exists at a fundamental level and cannot be understood as the sum of its parts. And after suggesting some intriguing possibilities about the structure and laws of conscious experience, he details how his unique reinterpretation of the mind could be the focus of a new science. Throughout the book, Chalmers provides fascinating thought experiments that trenchantly illustrate his ideas. For example, in exploring the notion that consciousness could be experienced by machines as well as humans, Chalmers asks us to imagine a thinking brain in which neurons are slowly replaced by silicon chips that precisely duplicate their functions - as the neurons are replaced, will consciousness gradually fade away? The book also features thoughtful discussions of how the author's theories might be practically applied to subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence and the interpretation of quantum mechanics.
All of us have pondered the nature and meaning of consciousness. Engaging and penetrating, The Conscious Mind adds a fresh new perspective to the subject that is sure to spark debate about our understanding of the mind for years to come.
Writing in a rigorous, thought-provoking style, the author takes us on a far-reaching tour through the philosophical ramifications of consciousness. Chalmers convincingly reveals how contemporary cognitive science and neurobiology have failed to explain how and why mental events emerge from physiological occurrences in the brain. He proposes instead that conscious experience must be understood in an entirely new light - as an irreducible entity (similar to such physical properties as time, mass, and space) that exists at a fundamental level and cannot be understood as the sum of its parts. And after suggesting some intriguing possibilities about the structure and laws of conscious experience, he details how his unique reinterpretation of the mind could be the focus of a new science. Throughout the book, Chalmers provides fascinating thought experiments that trenchantly illustrate his ideas. For example, in exploring the notion that consciousness could be experienced by machines as well as humans, Chalmers asks us to imagine a thinking brain in which neurons are slowly replaced by silicon chips that precisely duplicate their functions - as the neurons are replaced, will consciousness gradually fade away? The book also features thoughtful discussions of how the author's theories might be practically applied to subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence and the interpretation of quantum mechanics.
All of us have pondered the nature and meaning of consciousness. Engaging and penetrating, The Conscious Mind adds a fresh new perspective to the subject that is sure to spark debate about our understanding of the mind for years to come.
Reviews / Votes
The book is very well argued, thorough, sophisticated, honest, stimulating... It is certainly one of the best discussions of consciousness in existence, both as an advanced text and as an introduction to the issues. * Times Higher Education Supplement *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
line figures
Dimensions
Height: 243 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
738 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-510553-7 (9780195105537)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
03/1998
Oxford University Press Inc
€28.50
Available immediately

E-Book
05/1996
1st Edition
OUP USA
€13.49
Available for download

E-Book
05/1996
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€13.49
Available for download
Person
David J. Chalmers is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has been a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford and a McDonnell Fellow at Washington University. His article `The Puzzle of Conscious Experience' appeared in the December 1995 issue of Scientific American.
Author
Assistant Professor of PhilosophyAssistant Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Santa Cruz
Content
I. PRELIMINARIES; 1. Two Concepts of Mind; 2. Supervenience and Explanation; II. THE IRREDUCIBILITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS; 3. Can Consciousness be Reductively Explained?; 4. Naturalistic Dualism; 5. The Paradox of Phenomenal Judgment; III. TOWARD A THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS; 6. The Coherence between Consciousness and Cognition; 7. Absent Qualia, Fading Qualia, Dancing Qualia; 8. Consciousness and Information: Some Speculation; IV. APPLICATIONS; 9. Strong Artificial Intelligence; 10. The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics; Notes; Bibliography