David J. Chalmers’s The Conscious Mind is available on Audible as a 20 hrs 24 mins unabridged audiobook, narrated by George Cunningham.
Publisher’s Summary
What is consciousness? How do physical processes in the brain give rise to the self-aware mind and to feelings as profoundly varied as love or hate, aesthetic pleasure or spiritual yearning? These questions today are among the most hotly debated issues among scientists and philosophers, and we have seen in recent years superb volumes by such eminent figures as Francis Crick, Daniel C. Dennett, Gerald Edelman, and Roger Penrose, all firing volleys in what has come to be called the consciousness wars. Now, in The Conscious Mind, philosopher David J. Chalmers offers a cogent analysis of this heated debate as he unveils a major new theory of consciousness, one that rejects the prevailing reductionist trend of science, while offering provocative insights into the relationship between mind and brain.
Writing in a rigorous, thought-provoking style, the author takes us on a far-reaching tour through the philosophical ramifications of consciousness. Chalmers convincingly reveals how contemporary cognitive science and neurobiology have failed to explain how and why mental events emerge from physiological occurrences in the brain. He proposes instead that conscious experience must be understood in an entirely new light – as an irreducible entity (similar to such physical properties as time, mass, and space) that exists at a fundamental level and cannot be understood as the sum of its parts. And after suggesting some intriguing possibilities about the structure and laws of conscious experience, he details how his unique reinterpretation of the mind could be the focus of a new science. Throughout the book, Chalmers provides fascinating thought experiments that trenchantly illustrate his ideas. For example, in exploring the notion that consciousness could be experienced by machines as well as humans, Chalmers asks us to imagine a thinking brain in which neurons are slowly replaced by silicon chips that precisely duplicate their functions – as the neurons are replaced, will consciousness gradually fade away? The book also features thoughtful discussions of how the author’s theories might be practically applied to subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence and the interpretation of quantum mechanics.
All of us have pondered the nature and meaning of consciousness. Engaging and penetrating, The Conscious Mind adds a fresh new perspective to the subject that is sure to spark debate about our understanding of the mind for years to come.
Audiobook Details
- Narrated by: George Cunningham
- Length: 20 hrs 24 mins
- Publisher: Upfront Books
- Release year: 2021
- Audible category: Health & Wellness / Physical Illness & Disease / Health & Wellness
Listener Ratings
The Conscious Mind holds an average listener rating of 3.7/5 from 43 Audible ratings.
On Audible, ratings for this title break down into narration performance and story separately:
- Performance (narration): 3.7/5
- Story: 3.8/5
- 5-star ratings: 42% of all ratings
What Audible Listeners Are Saying
3/5 stars — “I really wanted to like it”
First of all, I wish Chalmers could have narrated this himself. The narrator felt disconnected from the subject and was quite monotone, which did not help me connect with the information. I spend a fair amount of time studying this subject, so I am not unfamiliar with its vocabulary and concepts. I found this book very difficult to follow and digest. I am probably just not educated enough to comprehend Chalmers intellect, but his delivery and ability to explain his examples were of little use to me.— Chris, Audible listener
3/5 stars — “Lots of problems with the recording. “
I don’t know if it was corrupted as I downloaded it or if it was a problem of the original recording, but there were a lot of skips, enough that at points the book became hard to follow, which not what you want in a dense philosophy book.— Amazon Customer, Audible listener
5/5 stars — “Essential knowledge”
I’m giving this book 5 stars because it covers THE keystone contribution to modern consciousness studies. Chalmers’ Hard Problem of Consciousness, whether you accept or reject it, forms the epicenter of the field. It is the reference point by which scholars in the field orient themselves. No theory of consciousness is complete unless it contends with the ideas in this book by supporting, refining or rejecting them.***However, the recording quality of the book is abysmal (the editor often splices takes together so that the transitions are audible, and temporally misaligned). Additionally, the book itself is rather rambling. Chalmers should really write a more condensed and digestible boom about his main claim to fame.**
— Oliver, Audible listener
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