The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self

(Paperback)

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Philosopher and scientist Thomas Metzinger argues that neurosciences picture of the self as an emergent phenomenon of our biology and the attendant fact that the self can be manipulatedand even controlledraises novel and serious ethical questions. If, as Metzinger argues, our conception of the self is a sort of tunnel-vision-like experience of the world, with little left in and much left out, can there be better or worse states of consciousness And if so, what should we do to try to achieve them Here, Metzinger outlines his vision of a moral philosophy of the mind.

Reviews

Library Journal "Metzinger's intended audience is the lay reader, and he does a superb job of presenting his theory and introducing philosophical issues related to consciousness." Booklist "Groundbreaking. This sophisticated understanding of the brain as an ego machine accounts remarkably well for the lived experience of being someone, a someone who transforms a bombardment of stimuli into a seamless present while still engaging in off-line planning for the future and reflection on the past." Bookforum "Metzinger is crisp in his arguments and has a keen appreciation of essential ideas."

Author Bio

Thomas Metzinger directs the Theoretical Philosophy Group at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, and is an Adjunct Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Study. He is the former president of the German Cognitive Science Society and one of the founders of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness. He has written and edited eight books, among them Being No One Conscious Experience and Neural Correlates of Consciousness. He lives in Germany.