The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates [Paperback]

Ned Block (Editor), Owen J. Flanagan (Editor), Guven Guzeldere (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262522101 | ISBN-13: 978-0262522106 | Publication Date: August 8, 1997 | Edition: 1

Intended for anyone attempting to find their way through the large and confusingly interwoven philosophical literature on consciousness, this reader brings together most of the principal texts in philosophy (and a small set of related key works in neuropsychology) on consciousness through 1997, and includes some forthcoming articles. Its extensive coverage strikes a balance between seminal works of the past few decades and the leading edge of philosophical research on consciousness.As no other anthology currently does, The Nature of Consciousness provides a substantial introduction to the field, and imposes structure on a vast and complicated literature, with sections covering stream of consciousness, theoretical issues, consciousness and representation, the function of consciousness, subjectivity and the explanatory gap, the knowledge argument, qualia, and monitoring conceptions of consciousness. Of the 49 contributions, 18 are either new or have been adapted from a previous publication.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Almost everyone agrees that we possess consciousness, but as this book demonstrates, that's where the agreement ends. What can we say about the mind without fear of contradiction? Not much, and that's how the study of consciousness stands out from other scientific and philosophical endeavors--the field's great minds argue cogently with little common ground, and nothing is safe from questioning.

For the adventurous and thoughtful reader, this is a paradise on the frontiers of knowledge. The Nature of Consciousness presumes a basic familiarity with science and philosophy, as well as a willingness to think and read carefully. With articles by such bright lights as Daniel Dennett, John Searle, Patricia Smith Churchland, and even the great William James, it provides both a comprehensive overview of the field and in-depth analyses of such issues as the mind-body problem and how we can study a phenomenon that may not be observed directly. It is best read as an update on Western scientific and philosophical replies to one of the great questions: Who are we? Given the universal appeal of such a question, the reader will undoubtedly find much within to challenge, puzzle, frustrate, and delight. --Rob Lightner

Review

The Nature of Consciousness brings together 50 essays, mostly reprinted from other sources, and mostly by philosophers, on the problems of consciousness. The book contains a long, highly readable introduction by Guven Guzeldere and divides into ten sections on such subjects as the metaphysics of consciousness, consciousness and content (ie mental representation) and consciousness and science. One hundred pages are devoted to some useful survey articles from the psychological and neuropsychological literature. Many of the articles will be familiar to those working in the field, but they are helpfully arranged here, with responses and counter-responses following on from key articles. Without doubt, this is the biggest, and best, anthology of writings on the philosophy of consciousness available. It will be an invaluable resource for scholars and research students. -- Tim Crane, Times Higher Education Supplement, JAN. 30, 1998 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 830 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book; 1 edition (August 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262522101
• ISBN-13: 978-0262522106
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most comprehesive book out there on the topic., June 30, 2002

By 

Carlos Camara "marrorris2" (Monterrey, Mexico) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates (Paperback)

This book is easy to review, and a no-brainer for people interested on consicousness studies. It is quite simply the most complete anthology on the philosophy of consciousness out there. Papers from William James, to Dennett, Searle, Block, Naegel, and over 50 others. Qualia, explanatory gaps, zombies, inverted qualia, some scientific papers, one of the best intoductions to the field out there.....700+ pages of consciousness, consciousness, consciousness....this is essential reading, and having for anyopne interested in philosophy of mind, and scientists of mind too...the fastest way to familiarize with the vast literature on the subject. The table of contents is reason enough to buy this book, and I will not bore you with more.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of course, this is a must for those studying cogsci, August 16, 2000

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Jihwan Myung (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates (Paperback)

It's a thick book and has lots of stuffs in it. Nearly all of most important philosophical works on consciousness in recent years are brought together in this single volume. Naturally, this is a textbook for graduate-level courses in cognitive science or philosophy of mind. And makes a quite nice source book for those who want to further their studies in artifical intelligence.

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy buy, January 9, 2012

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Leigha - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates (Paperback)

This book was a present and it shipped soon after I placed the order and came to me right on time.