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? David J. Chalmers 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 thought-provoking style, Chalmers proposes that conscious experience must be understood 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. Engaging and penetrating, this book adds a fresh new perspective to the subject that is sure to spark debate about our understanding of the mind for years to come.
About the AuthorDavid J. Chalmers is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
ReviewsEloquent, fiendishly clever ... One of the best science books of the year. * Sunday Times *
an outstanding contribution to our understanding of consciousness * Steven Pinker *
a startling first book
Book InformationISBN 9780195117899
Author David J. ChalmersFormat Paperback
Page Count 432
Imprint Oxford University Press IncPublisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 683g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 155mm * 29mm