There has been an explosion of work on consciousness in the last 30–40 years from philosophers, psychologists, and neurologists. Thus, there is a need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive volume in the field that brings together contributions from a wide range of experts on fundamental and cutting-edge topics. The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness fills this need and makes each chapter’s importance understandable to students and researchers from a variety of backgrounds. Designed to complement and better explain primary sources, this volume is a valuable ""first-stop"" publication for undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in any course on ""Consciousness,"" ""Philosophy of Mind,"" or ""Philosophy of Psychology,"" as well as a valuable handbook for researchers in these fields who want a useful reference to have close at hand. The 34 chapters, all published here for the first time, are divided into three parts:
Part I covers the ""History and Background Metaphysics"" of consciousness, such as dualism, materialism, free will, and personal identity, and includes a chapter on Indian philosophy.
Part II is on specific ""Contemporary Theories of Consciousness,"" with chapters on representational, information integration, global workspace, attention-based, and quantum theories.
Part III is entitled ""Major Topics in Consciousness Research,"" with chapters on psychopathologies, dreaming, meditation, time, action, emotion, multisensory experience, animal and robot consciousness, and the unity of consciousness.
Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and concludes with a list of ""Related Topics,"" as well as a list of ""References,"" making the volume indispensable for the newcomer and experienced researcher alike.
List of Figures. List of Contributors. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Part I. Consciousness: History and Background Metaphysics 1. Consciousness, Personal Identity, and Immortality 2. Consciousness in Western Philosophy 3. Materialism 4. Dualism 5. Idealism, Panpsychism, and Emergentism: The Radical Wing of Consciousness Studies 6. Consciousness, Free Will, and Moral Responsibility 7. Consciousness and the Mind-Body Problem in Indian Philosophy Part II. Contemporary Theories of Consciousness 8. Representational Theories of Consciousness 9. The Global Workspace Theory 10. Integrated Information Theory 11. The Multiple Drafts Model 12. The Intermediate Level Theory of Consciousness 13. The Attention Schema Theory of Consciousness 14. Biological Naturalism and Biological Realism 15. Sensorimotor and Enactive Approaches to Consciousness 16. Quantum Theories of Consciousness Part III. Major Topics in Consciousness Research 17. The Neural Correlates of Consciousness 18. Consciousness and Attention 19. Consciousness and Intentionality 20. Consciousness and Conceptualism 21. Consciousness, Time, and Memory 22. Consciousness and Action 23. Consciousness and Emotion 24. Multisensory Consciousness and Synesthesia 25. Consciousness and Psychopathology 26. Post-Comatose Disorders of Consciousness 27. The Unity of Consciousness 28. The Biological Evolution of Consciousness 29. Animal Consciousness 30. Robot Consciousness 31. Consciousness and Dreams: From Self-Simulation to the Simulation of a Social World 32. Meditation and Consciousness: Can we Experience Experience as Broken? 33. Consciousness and End of Life Ethical Issues 34. Consciousness and Experimental Philosophy
Rocco J. Gennaro is Professor of Philosophy and Chairperson of the Philosophy Department at the University of Southern Indiana. Two of his more recent books are The Consciousness Paradox: Consciousness, Concepts, and Higher-Order Thoughts (2012) and Consciousness (Routledge, 2017). He is also editor of Disturbed Consciousness: New Essays on Psychopathology and Theories of Consciousness (2015).
Reviews for The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness
"""Keeping up with work on consciousness is becoming harder and harder. Luckily The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness alleviates this headache. The thirty four chapters collectively give a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the field, written by leading specialists. A must-have for researchers and serious students alike."" --Alex Byrne, Professor of Philosophy, MIT ""The editor’s choice of entries in this Handbook reflects the complexity and marvel of consciousness. Expert philosophers and psychologists offer a wide range of approaches to studying consciousness. Students and researchers looking for eastern or western perspectives will find both represented here."" -Susanna Siegel, Harvard University ""This exceptionally comprehensive and highly accessible survey of topics in the multidisciplinary study of consciousness stands out as an excellent introduction to the field. t is a helpful guide through the thickets of interwoven debates and an essential collection for researchers working in any area of consciousness who want a reliable and illuminating overview of the big picture. This book will be a marvelous resource for anyone beginning their study of consciousness and for expert researchers alike."" --Andrew Bailey, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies), University of Guelph, Canada"
