Whatisconsciousness?Howdophysicalprocessesinthebraingiverisetotheself-awaremindandtofeelingsasprofoundlyvariedasloveorhate,aestheticpleasureorspiritualyearning?Thesequestionstodayareamongthemosthotlydebatedissuesamongscientistsandphilosophers,andwehaveseeninrecentyearssuperbvolumesbysucheminentfiguresasFrancisCrick,DanielC.Dennett,GeraldEdelman,andRogerPenrose,allfiringvolleysinwhathascometobecalledtheconsciousnesswars.Now,inTheConsciousMind,philosopherDavidJ.Chalmersoffersacogentanalysisofthisheateddebateasheunveilsamajornewtheoryofconsciousness,onethatrejectstheprevailingreductionisttrendofscience,whileofferingprovocativeinsightsintotherelationshipbetweenmindandbrain.Writinginarigorous,thought-provokingstyle,theauthortakesusonafar-reachingtourthroughthephilosophicalramificationsofconsciousness.Chalmersconvincinglyrevealshowcontemporarycognitivescienceandneurobiologyhavefailedtoexplainhowandwhymentaleventsemergefromphysiologicaloccurrencesinthebrain.Heproposesinsteadthatconsciousexperiencemustbeunderstoodinanentirelynewlight--asanirreducibleentity(similartosuchphysicalpropertiesastime,mass,andspace)thatexistsatafundamentallevelandcannotbeunderstoodasthesumofitsparts.Andaftersuggestingsomeintriguingpossibilitiesaboutthestructureandlawsofconsciousexperience,hedetailshowhisuniquereinterpretationofthemindcouldbethefocusofanewscience.Throughoutthebook,Chalmersprovidesfascinatingthoughtexperimentsthattrenchantlyillustratehisideas.Forexample,inexploringthenotionthatconsciousnesscouldbeexperiencedbymachinesaswellashumans,Chalmersasksustoimagineathinkingbraininwhichneuronsareslowlyreplacedbysiliconchipsthatpreciselyduplicatetheirfunctions--astheneuronsarereplaced,willconsciousnessgraduallyfadeaway?Thebookalsofeaturesthoughtfuldiscussionsofhowtheauthor’stheoriesmightbepracticallyappliedtosubjectsasdiverseasartificialintelligenceandtheinterpretationofquantummechanics.Allofushaveponderedthenatureandmeaningofconsciousness.Engagingandpenetrating,TheConsciousMindaddsafreshnewperspectivetothesubjectthatissuretosparkdebateaboutourunderstandingofthemindforyearstocome.
