Exploring Consciousness - Softcover

Carter, Rita

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0520243250 ISBN 13: 9780520243255

Publisher: University of California Press, 2004

Synopsis

Rita Carter ponders the nature, origins, and purpose of consciousness in this fascinating inquiry into the toughest problem facing modern science and philosophy. Building on the foundation of her bestselling book Mapping the Mind, she considers whether consciousness is merely an illusion, a by-product of our brain's workings, some as yet inexplicable feature or property of the material universe or—as the latest physics may suggest—the very fundament of reality. Little, she discovers, is as it first seems.

Carter draws from a solid body of knowledge—empirical findings and theoretical hypotheses--about consciousness, much of it derived from recent discoveries about the brain. Her lively, accessible narrative ranges widely over new ways of thinking about the subject and what direction new research is taking. Leading scholars from a range of perspectives provide topical essays that complement Carter's account. The book also discusses how traditional approaches—philosophical, scientific, and experiential—might be brought together to create a more complete understanding of consciousness.

About this title

About the Author

Rita Carter is a science writer whose work has appeared in, among other publications, The New York Times, Washington Post, New Scientist, and Daily Telegraph. She has twice been awarded the Medical Journalists' Association prize for outstanding contributions to medical journalism. Her first book, Mapping the Mind, was shortlisted for the Rhône-Poulenc science prize.

From the Inside Flap

"In a breezy and clear style, Carter provides a broad, lucid survey of most of the interesting ideas and people involved in the trendy field of consciousness research, pulling together many disparate philosophical and scientific views."—John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication, and Explanation

Edition details

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520243250
• ISBN 13: 9780520243255
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320