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Chargement... Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness (édition 2012)par Nicholas Humphrey
Information sur l'oeuvreSoul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness par Nicholas Humphrey
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Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. Tries to explain what consciousness is and how it evolved. I'm not sure I followed it all, and I'm also not sure that there weren't some unfollowable gaps in the reasoning. But there were some very interesting ideas and most of the writing was clear, if you can keep track of the few words that he invents. A fascinating subject! ( ) Nick Humphrey's take on the origins and role of consciousness in humans and other animals, of interest to anyone with an appetite for contemporary philosophy of mind, in particular the relationship between the internal world of mental experience and the so-called neurological correlates of consciousness. Humphrey's main message, after presenting his own functionalist (or functionalist-inspired) view, is that consciousness is evolutionarily adaptive in humans and, to a lesser extent, nonhuman animals with less-developed self-awareness. I found it an enjoyable exploration of that line of thought. Well written, with (too) many traces of the original lectures and seminars. Often confounding in its arguments and conclusions, but always serious and almost always convincing. Many exemples from literature, which is nice but doubtful as a source for scientific theory. The personal stance of the author is often unclear. But overall a worthwhile effort to shed new light on a still much debated topic: our consciousness. Charming, I guess I should say--full of the finest in literary quotations, funny, humble (in an oddly arrogant way), smart--but not very satisfying. Humphrey describes a phenomenology of consciousness that usually makes little sense to me, as if he were describing humans and I'm really a dolphin, or something--so much of just left me scratching my head. He argues that consciousness is adaptive, and I'm inclined to agree, but he could have just said that, I could have just nodded and then gone of to read something else, maybe something about Vikings or whatever. aucune critique | ajouter une critique
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How is consciousness possible? What biological purpose does it serve? And why do we value it so highly? In Soul Dust, the psychologist Nicholas Humphrey, a leading figure in consciousness research, proposes a startling new theory. Consciousness, he argues, is nothing less than a magical-mystery show that we stage for ourselves inside our own heads. This self-made show lights up the world for us and makes us feel special and transcendent. Thus consciousness paves the way for spirituality, and allows us, as human beings, to reap the rewards, and anxieties, of living in what Humphrey calls the "soul niche.? Tightly argued, intellectually gripping, and a joy to read, Soul Dust provides answers to the deepest questions. It shows how the problem of consciousness merges with questions that obsess us all--how life should be lived and the fear of death. Resting firmly on neuroscience and evolutionary theory, and drawing a wealth of insights from philosophy and literature, Soul Dust is an uncompromising yet life-affirming work--one that never loses sight of the majesty and wonder of consciousness. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)126Philosophy and Psychology Philosophy Of Humanity Consciousness And SelfhoodClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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