Consciousness Explained

In Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett reveals the secrets of one of the last remaining mysteries of the universe: the human brain.

Daniel C. Dennetts now-classic book blends philosophy, psychology and neuroscience - with the aid of numerous examples and thought-experiments - to explore how consciousness has evolved, and how a modern understanding of the human mind is radically different from conventional explanations of consciousness.

What people think of as the stream of consciousness is not a single, unified sequence, the author argues, but multiple drafts of reality composed by a computer-like virtual machine. Dennett explains how science has exploded the classic mysteries of consciousness: the nature of introspection, the self or ego and its relation to thoughts and sensations, the problems posed by qualia, and the level of consciousness of non-human creatures.

Brilliant ... a torrent of stimulating thought Richard Dawkins

Revolutionary ... one of the most mentally agile, intellectually resourceful books you are likely to readGuardian

A masterful tapestry of deep insights ... Dennett has written a profound and important book that is also clear, exciting and witty Douglas R. Hofstadter, author of Gödel, Escher, Bach