Understanding Phenomenal Consciousness

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Cambridge University Press, Mar 29, 2004 - Philosophy - 264 pages
William S. Robinson has for many years written insightfully about the mind-body problem. In Understanding Phenomenal Consciousness he focuses on sensory experience (e.g., pain, afterimages) and perception qualities such as colours, sounds and odours to present a dualistic view of the mind, called Qualitative Event Realism, that goes against the dominant materialist views. This theory is relevant to the development of a science of consciousness which is now being pursued not only by philosophers but by researchers in psychology and the brain sciences. This provocative book will interest students and professionals who work in the philosophy of mind and will also have cross-disciplinary appeal in cognitive psychology and the brain sciences.
 

Contents

QUALITATIVE EVENT REALISM
14
DUALISM
36
REPRESENTATIONALISM
53
TRANSPARENCY
73
HIGHER ORDER THEORIES
87
MONITORING
107
FUNCTIONALISM
130
SKEPTICISM AND THE CAUSES
143
EPIPHENOMENALISM
158
UNIFIED DUALISM
183
PATTERNS AS CAUSES OF QUALITATIVE EVENTS
207
A POSSIBLE FUTURE
227
References
251
Index
259
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