The Race for Consciousness

(Paperback)

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There is a sense among scientists that the time is finally ripe for the problem of consciousness to be solved once and for all. The development of new experimental and theoretical tools for probing the brain has produced an atmosphere of unparalleled optimism that the job can now be done properly: the race for consciousness is on! In this book John Taylor describes the complete scene of entries, riders, gamblers, and racecourses. He presents his own entry into the race, which he has been working on for the past twenty-five years - the relational theory of consciousness, according to which consciousness is created through the relations between brain states, especially those involving memories of personal experiences. Because it is an ongoing and adaptive process, consciousness emerges from past brain activity. It is this highly subtle and delicate process of emergence that leads to the complexity of consciousness.

Reviews

"... with regard to the wonderful wealth of information he gives us, and the way he pushes theorizing in the field forward, one can have only an enthusiasm almost equal to Taylor's own." - Christopher Bullock, Boston Book Review

Author Bio

John G. Taylor is Emeritus Professor and Director, Centre for Neural Networks, Kings College, University of London, and Guest Scientist, Institute of Medicine, Research Centre, Juelich, Germany. He has published more than four hundred papers in quantum field theory, elementary particle physics, string theory, neural networks, time series, pattern recognition, and cognitive neuroscience. He is also a prominent debunker of pseudoscience.