Consciousness Reconsidered (Bradford Books) [Paperback]

Owen Flanagan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262560771 | ISBN-13: 978-0262560771 | Publication Date: December 10, 1993

Consciousness is neither miraculous nor ultimately mysterious. In this broad, entertaining, and persuasive account Owen Flanagan argues that we are on the way to understanding consciousness and its place in the natural order. No aspect of consciousness escapes Flanagan's probe. Qualia, self-consciousness, autobiographical memory, perceptions, sensations, the stream of consciousness, disorders such as blindsight, various kinds of amnesia, and multiple personality all find a place in a constructive theory that brings into reflective equilibrium insights from a wide array of disciplines to reveal the deep, rich, and complex hidden structure of consciousness.Flanagan roams freely through a variety of scientific and philosophical domains, showing how it is possible to understand human consciousness in a way that gives its subjective, phenomenal aspects their full due while at the same time taking into account the neural bases of subjectivity. The result is a powerful synthetic theory of consciousness, a "constructive naturalism," according to which subjective consciousness is real, plays an important causal role, and resides in the brain.Flanagan draws the reader into a world of exciting current debates among such philosophers as Thomas Nagel, Daniel Dennett, Paul Churchland, Patricia Churchland, and Colin McGinn, and he makes this world accessible. He masterfully weaves the latest insights from theory and research in cognitive neuroscience, neural darwinism, connectionist brain architecture, and PET scanners to reveal clear links between events that "seem a certain way" and underlying neural activity. William James's famous phenomenological analysis of consciousness and neurologically impaired characters from the writings of Oliver Sacks and A. R. Luria join the narrative, providing valuable insights into important current controversies on the relation of consciousness to self.Owen Flanagan is Class of 1919 Professor of Philosophy at Wellesley College.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Philosophy professors Searle and Flanagan throw light on recent debates over the meaning of human consciousness and its relation to the natural world.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

This is a marvelous book. Its central claim is that within a broadly conceived naturalism there can be a coherent, probing, insightful theory of consciousness. Flanagan examines more problems and topics associated with consciousness than any other philosopher since William James!" George Graham , Professor of Philosophy, University of Alabama, Birmingham

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Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book (December 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262560771
• ISBN-13: 978-0262560771
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy that makes sense., July 6, 2002

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Carlos Camara "marrorris2" (Monterrey, Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Consciousness Reconsidered (Bradford Books) (Paperback)

This is one of the early philosophy books that started to make sense on the issue of consciousness. Comming from a decade where Joe Levine told us there was a gap, Frank Jackson that materialism left something out, McGuinn told us we could not understand it, the Churchlands wanted to get rid of the thing, this book is a great relief. Consciousness, according to Flanagan, is a natural phenomenon, rooted in the brain. IT is real, capable of being defined, it evolved, and tractable scientifically. We need not despair, nor look in wrong and exotic places like quantum mechanics. Psychology, phenomenology, neurobiology and cognitive science will do. This is useful philosophy.

In the first chapter, Flanagan sketches the field of philosophy of consicousness. He defines the different positions (consicousness is mysterious, consciousness does not exist, consciousness does not matter, consciousness is unintelligeble, consciousness is miracolous, etc..) and argues for naturalism and the adequacy of science to take on the job. In chapter 2, he shows why elimination of the concept of consicousness will not do. Surely, the concept is ot clear, but it points to a real phenomenon in need of explanation. In chapter 3, Flanagan talks about consciousness and the brain, how and why it evolved, and tries to make clear that there is nothing strange about the idea that cosnciousness might just be the brain itself.

IN chapter 4, Flanagan discusses qualia. He concentrates on Dennetss position that qualia should be eliminated scince nothing could have the properties philosophers claim qualia has. Flanagan agrees, but rightly notices that quala need not refer to that which philosophers talk about. Qualia are real, and there is something like to be in a phenomenal state. In chapter 5, Flanagan chalenges the inteligibility gap and the knowledge argument. Consicousness is the brain, but understanding the brain will not cause you to experience somebody elses consciousness. The gap is epistemological not ontological.

In chapter 6 Flanagan discusses the new mysterianism, the view that consicousness is a netural explanation, but beyond our cognitive abilities to explain or understand. He points out that most arguments for this position are invalid. The standards set in this view for explanation are unrealistically high, and progress has been done in understanding consciousness, regardless of what mysterians may say. Chapter 7 takes on epiphenomenalism, the view that consicousness serves no function and no casual role. This view in coeherent and should be taken reasonable. Indeed sometimes consiousness seems to be a bystander. But others, it is essential for initiating behaviour, functioning cognitively correctly and develop the self.

Chapter 8 is about phenomenology and how the stram of consicousness, although not quite real, is an accurate description of the first person prespective. Chapter 9 is about the illusion of a cartesian I or ego that rules mental life. As chapter 10 makes clear there is a self that is a center of a narrative, it emerges from the brain, but it does not have cartesian properties. The book concludes with the idea that consicousnes can be explained, that a scientific theory is possible and that cognitive science, psychology and neurscience will succeed.

This is good philosophy indeed. Consicousness is portrayed simply, as a natural phenomentol being understood through science. There are some objections one could make, but in all, considering the philosophical views of consicousness, this one is science friendly and informative. THis is the kind of constructivism that one should expect form philosophers.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Historical Clarifications from the Author, April 2, 2007

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Owen Flanagan "owen flanagan" (durham nc) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Consciousness Reconsidered (Bradford Books) (Paperback)

I really shouldn't be giving stars to my own book, but it seems to be a requirement here.

Two clarifications:

1. It is true that I don't engage Dave Chalmers views in the book. Dave's book appeared about 5 years after mine.
2. The title *Consciousness Reconsidered* has understandably led some to think that it is primarily a response to Dennett's *Consciousness Explained.* It isn't, altho. I do engage some of Dan's arguments. My book was published soon after Dan's & most of my issues w/Dan relate to papers (alto. along w/Ned Block, I discussed Dan's forthcoming book w/him and others on a regular basis. But responding to and/or offering an alternative view to Dennett was not my aim. In fact my view on *consciousness* was sketched out in the long new chapter in *The Science of the Mind* published in 1991.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid consciousness philosophy, July 11, 2002

By 

Daniel L Jones (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Consciousness Reconsidered (Bradford Books) (Paperback)

Owen Flanagan's statement of his approach to consciousness makes more sense than those of the Nagels, Jacksons, and Rosenthals of the world. While I tend to find materialist approaches most convincing, I'm often left wanting with respect to those materialists' understandings of real neuroscience.

What I liked about Flanagan's view is that he doesn't necessarily try to show off any sort of advanced knowledge of neuroscience because he doesn't have it, and realizes it. Instead, he emphasizes a multidisciplinary, practical approach to understanding consciousness.

However, I think he overestimates the importance of psychology -- this is, of course, probably based entirely on my bias as a student of neurobiology and reductionism, which purports someday to reduce psychology to neuroscience. But still, I give him credit for a solid theory that makes intuitive sense.