The Varieties of Consciousness

What general forms of experience- perceptual, cognitive, conative, emotional, and so on- are primitive and irreducible to others? How should the basic varieties of consciousness be characterized and distinguished? These daunting questions provide Kriegel with a unifying framework in which to address a variety of fascinating topics, often disparately considered- the nature of belief and desire, commitment (moral and otherwise), emotion, motivation, imagination and the experience of freedom. One's philosophy of consciousness will be invigorated and enlarged by engaging with Kriegel's lucidly argued, forthright, and fearless treatment of these issues, foundational for understanding mind, knowledge and morals. Charles Siewert, Rice University Deftly combining analytic rigor with sustained, careful attention to phenomenology, The Varieties of Consciousness develops and defends a systematic, nuanced account of the internal structure of phenomenal experience. The book's framing objective is to identify the basic, irreducible types of phenomenology, those that jointly determine the totality of phenomenal experience in all its richness. But it also makes important contributions to an impressive array of ancillary topics, including philosophical methodology, the theory of emotions, and the debate over cognitivism about ethics. It is required reading for those working in the philosophy of mind, and will also be of interest to specialists in moral psychology and epistemology. Brie Gertler, University of Virginia