Thinking about Consciousness

The relation between subjective consciousness and the physical brain is widely regarded as the last mystery facing science. Papineau argues that consciousness seems mysterious not because of any hidden essence, but only because we think about it in a special way. He exposes the resulting potential for confusion, and shows that much scientific study of consciousness is misconceived.

David Papineau is Professor of Philosophy at King's College London. His books include Theory and Meaning (Clarendon 1979), Reality and Representation (Blackwell 1987), Philosophical Naturalism (Blackwell 1993), The Philosophy of Science (Oxford Readings in Philosophy 1996), and a collection of essays, The Roots of Reason (Clarendon 2003).