Overview

"How does the conscious mind relate to the physical body? Two common views from the past offered the stark choice between dualism which said mind and body were quite separate and physicalism which said that the mind was in fact 'nothing but' the physical brain. Both these views are now widely rejected. 'Emergence' theory offers a compromise: the mind 'emerges' from the physical body but the whole person, mind and body, is more than the sum of the physical parts. In ""The Emergence of Consciousness"" philosopher Robert Van Gulick gives a clear and masterly overview and comparison of the current 'emergent' and 'reductive' approaches. Other contributors discuss more detailed aspects of the subject. The editor's own chapter argues for the radical proposal that even God is an 'emergent property'."

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9780907845188

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Reviews

'This book can be recommended as a starting point and guide to the various modern views on the place of consciousness in the world, and particularly to the distinction and debate between reduction and emergence.' Human Nature Review

This book can be recommended as a starting point and guide to the various modern views on the place of consciousness in the world, and particularly to the distinction and debate between reduction and emergence. Human Nature Review

Author Information

Anthony Freeman is a priest and theologian, dismissed by the Church of England for his radical views. He has been managing editor of The Journal of Consciousness Studies since 1994. His books include God In Us (1993; 2nd edition, 2001) and The Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Freewill (co-edited, 1999). Robert Van Gulick is professor of philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley. He has written and lectured widely on philosophy of mind and co-edited John Searle and His Critics (1993), a discussion of work by one of the leading names in the study of consciousness.

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