May 31, 2006
Understanding consciousness easier than we think:
Philosopher Alex Byrne writes about the problem of consciousness in the Boston Review. Against the current trend of labelling it 'the hard problem', Byrne argues that it may be easier to understand than we think.
Byrne does a fantastic job of touring us through some of the classic problems and thinkers in the area, using Thomas Nagel's famous article on consciousness 'What is it like to be a bat?' as a starting point.
The problem centres around the link between our own subjective conscious experience and the biological function of the brain, and whether it is possible to explain one in terms of the other.
You'd be hard pressed to find a better introduction to the area, and Byrne does a great job of telling an engaging story.
Link to article 'What mind-body problem?' (via 3QuarksDaily).
Link to Alex Byrne's webpage (with publications online).
