How Could Conscious Experiences Affect Brains? [Paperback]

Max Velmans (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0907845398 | ISBN-13: 978-0907845393 | Publication Date: November 26, 2002

In daily life we take if for granted that our minds have conscious control of our actons, at least most of the time. But many scientists and philophers deny that this is really the case, because there is no generally accepted theory of how the mind interacts with the body. Max Velmans presents a non-reductive solution to the problem, in which 'concious mental control' includes 'voluntary' operations of the preconscious mind. On this account, biological determinism is compatible with experience free will. Velman's theory is put to the test by nine critics: Ron Chrisley, Todd Feinberg, Jeffrey Gray, John Kihlstrom, Sam Rakover, Ramakrishna Rao, Aaron Sloman, Steve Torrance and Robert Van Gulick.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Establishes that the mind-body problem is not a problem - the distinction is merely one of perspective." -- Metapsychology

"Reflects the state of the art in consciousness studies" -- Network

"The volume is full of interesting arguments and provides a manageable and at times amusing introduction to a classic argument." -- Susan Blackmore, Times Higher Educational Supplement

"This is a thorough book well worth close reading. Highly recommended." -- Human Nature Review

About the Author

Max Velmans has a Personal Chair in Psychology at the University of London and is currently Emeritus Professor at Goldsmiths College. He has around 80 publications on consciousness including "Understanding Consciousness" (2000), which was shortlisted for the British Psychological Society book of the year award in 2001 and 2002. Other publications include "The Science of Consciousness: Psychological, Neuropsychological and Clinical Reviews" (1996), "Investigating Phenomenal Consciousness: New Methodologies and Maps" (2000), and "How Could Conscious Experiences Affect Brains?" (2003). He was a co-founder and, from 2004 to 2006, Chair of the Consciousness and Experiential Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society.

Susan Schneider is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. She focuses on issues involving the philosophy of cognitive science and, in particular, the plausibility of computational theories of mind and theoretical issues in artificial intelligence. She also has authored numerous articles in metaphysics.

Editorial Board:
Science of Consciousness: Jeffrey Gray, John Kihlstrom, Phil Merikle, Stevan Harnad
Philosophy of Consciousness: Ned Block, David Chalmers, Jose Bermudez, Brian McLaughlin, George Graham

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Imprint Academic (November 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0907845398
• ISBN-13: 978-0907845393
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,874,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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