What does it mean to be conscious? And how can we solve the so-called ‘hard problem’: of how and why our physical brains produce subjective, internal experiences. As Isaac Newton once noted, “to determine by what modes or actions light produceth in our minds the phantasm of colour is not so easie.”
This is one of the most complex and conceptually difficult subjects in psychology, and one that has fascinated both scientists and philosophers of mind for centuries. Find below reading lists compiled by some of the best renowned researchers of the field, after we asked the experts for the best books in their respective specialisms.
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1
A Materialist Theory of the Mind
by D M Armstrong -
2
Consciousness Explained
by Daniel C Dennett -
3
Varieties of Meaning: The 2002 Jean Nicod Lectures
by Ruth Garrett Millikan -
4
The Architecture of the Mind
by Peter Carruthers -
5
Supersizing the Mind: Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension
by Andy Clark
The best books on Philosophy of Mind, recommended by Keith Frankish
The best books on Philosophy of Mind, recommended by Keith Frankish
The experimental investigation of the mind is now the province of psychology and neuroscience – but many conceptual and metaphysical questions remain. Philosophy of mind deals with these fundamental questions, says Keith Frankish, as he selects five of the best books in the field.
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1
Consciousness Explained
by Daniel C Dennett -
2
Principles of Psychology
by William James -
3
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
by Julian Jaynes -
4
The Mind's I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul
by Douglas R Hofstadter & Daniel C Dennett -
5
Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life
by Peter Godfrey-Smith
The best books on Consciousness, recommended by Susan Blackmore
The best books on Consciousness, recommended by Susan Blackmore
The ‘hard problem’ of consciousness – of how the physical matter of the brain produces the psychological phenomenon of consciousness – has dogged psychologists and neuroscientists for decades. But what if we’ve been posing the question incorrectly all this time? The psychologist Susan Blackmore discusses five key texts that tackle this quicksilver concept.
The best books on Streams of Consciousness, recommended by Charles Fernyhough
Is it possible to describe or study our inner experience, and – if so – how might one go about it? Charles Fernyhough, professor of psychology and author of The Voices Within chooses five of the best books that employ or examine streams of consciousness.
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1
Connectome
by Sebastian Seung -
2
The Feeling of What Happens
by Antonio Damasio -
3
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
by Richard Wrangham -
4
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease
by Daniel Lieberman -
5
The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution
by Joseph Henrich
The best books on The Human Brain, recommended by Suzana Herculano-Houzel
The best books on The Human Brain, recommended by Suzana Herculano-Houzel
The human brain contains 86 billion neurons and burns a quarter of our energy intake. But it is by no means extraordinary, says Suzana Herculano-Houzel. Here, the Brazilian neuroscientist chooses five of the best books for understanding the complexities and connectivity of our most enigmatic organ.
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1
Introducing Consciousness
by David Papineau and Howard Selina -
2
Detecting Awareness in the Vegetative State
by Adam Owen et al -
3
Selective Attention Test
by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons -
4
Failure to Detect Mismatches Between Intention and Outcome in a Simple Decision Task
by Petter Johansson et al -
5
Synecdoche, New York
by Charlie Kaufman