The Conscious Mind
Encyclopedia
The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory is a 1996 book by David Chalmers
, an Australia
n philosopher specializing in the area of philosophy of mind
. In the book, Chalmers presents the major arguments against materialist theories of consciousness
, and then advances his own dualistic theory of consciousness
based on "Shannon information partitions".
The Conscious Mind has been reviewed in many journals including Foundations of Physics
, Psychological Medicine
, Mind
, The Journal of Mind and Behavior, and Australian Review of Books.
David Chalmers
David John Chalmers is an Australian philosopher specializing in the area of philosophy of mind and philosophy of language, whose recent work concerns verbal disputes. He is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Consciousness at the Australian National University...
, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n philosopher specializing in the area of philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem, i.e...
. In the book, Chalmers presents the major arguments against materialist theories of consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, and then advances his own dualistic theory of consciousness
Dualism (philosophy of mind)
In philosophy of mind, dualism is a set of views about the relationship between mind and matter, which begins with the claim that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical....
based on "Shannon information partitions".
The Conscious Mind has been reviewed in many journals including Foundations of Physics
Foundations of Physics
Foundations of Physics is a monthly journal "devoted to the conceptual bases and fundamental theories of modern physics and cosmology, emphasizing the logical, methodological, and philosophical premises of modern physical theories and procedures"...
, Psychological Medicine
Psychological Medicine
Psychological Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal in the field of psychiatry and related aspects of psychology and basic sciences. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2010 impact factor of 5.200, ranking 6th out of 73 journals in the category "Psychology", 11th out...
, Mind
Mind (journal)
Mind is a British journal, currently published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Mind Association, which deals with philosophy in the analytic tradition...
, The Journal of Mind and Behavior, and Australian Review of Books.