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Synopsis
Scientist Francis Crick (of the DNA double-helix fame) put forward the Astonishing Hypothesis (Simon & Schuster, 1994) that you yourself'your sense of personal identity—are no more than the behaviour of your nerve cells and associated chemicals. In Models of the Self, some two dozen researchers with various backgrounds—science, philosophy, mysticism—discuss the nature of the 'self'.
Oxford philosopher Galen Strawson (Mental Reality, MIT Press, 1994) provides the opening chapter and a final review of the whole debate. Among the contributors, popular author Mary Midgley (The Ethical Primate, Routledge, 1994, etc.) makes a typically swashbuckling attack on Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene, OUP, 1976) and Daniel Dennett (Darwin's Dangerous Idea, Penguin, 1995), and others who share Crick's 'reductionist' views. The most fascinating chapter is by neurologist Jonathan Cole (About Face, MIT Press, 1998). He reports interviews with blind people (including UK Education Minister David Blunkett and the broadcaster Peter White) on the importance of seeing faces for our sense of identity.
Trends in Cognitive Science
Models of the Self is a challenging and provocative book. Itis not an easy read, but the insights and rewards are great.