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인권의 철학 - 자유주의를 넘어 동서양이분법을 넘어
장은주 (지은이)새물결2010-09-15
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인권, 동양주의, 북한 문제 등 우리 시대의 뜨거운 쟁점들은 왜 철학을 비켜 가는가. 이 책의 주제인 ‘인권’을 둘러싼 논의에서도 철학이 초라한 처지에 있는 것은 마찬가지이다. 서양의 보편적 인권 개념과 달리 중국에는 고유한 ‘중국식 인권’이 있으며, 그러한 인권을 ‘외교’ 수단으로 삼아 제국주의적 침략을 일삼고 있는 미국이 ‘인권’ 운운하는 것이 자가당착적이라는 일각의 반박 등 인권을 둘러싼 논쟁도 보편-특수, 서양주의-동양주의의 대립을 주요 축으로 삼고 있다. 이처럼 시대는 철학의 개입을 절실히 요청하고 있고 이 책은 이에 응하고 있다. 어떤 추상적인 서구의 이념이 아니라 바로 이 땅에서의 철학을 시도하고 있다.
목차
책을 펴내며
서론 - 인권의 철학과 인권의 정치
01. 전통의 도덕적 메타모포시스
1. 전통의 도덕적 메타모포시스
2. 문화적 차이와 인권
3. 인권의 보편주의는 추상적 보편주의인가?
보론1. '우리의 철학', 어떻게 할 것인가?
02. 동서양이분법을 넘어, 자유주의를 넘어
4. 인권과 민주적 연대성
5. 다문화주의와 인권의 보편주의
6. 동서양이분법을 넘어, 자유주의를 넘어
03. 보편주의적 인권 정치의 지평
7. 사회권과 민주공화국의 이념
8. 대한민국을 사랑한다는 것
9. 인권의 보편성과 인도적 개입의 정당성
보론2. 상처 입은 삶의 빗나간 인정투쟁
참고문헌
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추천글
이 책을 추천한 다른 분들 :
한겨레
- 한겨레 신문 2010년 10월 30일 지성 새책
동아일보
- 동아일보 2010년 10월 30일자 새로나온 책
중앙일보
- 중앙일보(조인스닷컴) 2010년 10월 30일자
저자 및 역자소개
장은주 (지은이)
저자파일
신간알리미 신청
영산대학교에서 학생들을 가르치는 정치철학자다. 어떻게 하면 한국 민주주의가 좀 더 안정되고 성숙할 수 있을지를 고민하면서 필요한 철학적 인식을 다듬는 게 주된 관심사다. 독일 프랑크푸르트에 있는 괴테 대학에서 ‘비판사회이론’을 공부해서 학위를 받았는데, 한국 사회의 고유한 삶 의 문법과 발전 동학을 제대로 이해할 수 있는 독자적인 이론을 만들고 싶어 한다. 최근에는 시민들의 민주적 역량 함양을 위한 민주시민교육에 관심이 많다. 《공정의 배신》, 《시민교육이 희망이다》, 《유교적 근대성의 미래》, 《정치의 이동》, 《인권의 철학》 같은 책을 썼다. 접기
최근작 : <공화주의자 노무현 (표지 3종 중 랜덤)>,<공정의 배신>,<민주주의 언박싱> … 총 20종 (모두보기)
출판사 소개
새물결
출판사 페이지
신간알리미 신청
최근작 : <재귀성과 우연성>,<과잉 히스테리 사회, 단독성들의 사회>,<이제, 쓸모없는 사람은 없다>등 총 143종
대표분야 : 교양 인문학 1위 (브랜드 지수 41,898점)
출판사 제공 책소개
‘북한 인권’은 보편적 가치 판단의 대상인가 아니면 아시아적 가치라는 특수주의적 가치 평가 대상인가? 우리 시대의 가장 큰 고민에 철학은 과연 대답할 수 있을까?
우리는 ‘서양주의’와 ‘동양주의’를, 아시아적 가치 논쟁을 넘어설 수 있을까?
인권, 동양주의, 북한 문제 등 우리 시대의 뜨거운 쟁점들은 왜 철학을 비켜 가는가?
북한의 3대 세습을 둘러싼 국내의 논쟁은 역설적이지만 오늘날의 철학이 처한 초라한 처지를 전형적으로 보여준다. 그러한 논쟁은 당연히 철학적 원리를 둘러싼 것이어야 했으나 어떤 ‘특수한’ 역사적 사례를 침소봉대해 세습이 ‘보편적’인 것이라는 식의 궤변을 도출하는 옹호론자들의 궤변은 ‘철학의 빈곤’을 너무나 잘 보여준다. 즉 철학은 아예 염두에도 두지 않고 ‘논쟁’을 벌이는 것이다. 이 책의 주제인 ‘인권’을 둘러싼 논의에서도 철학이 초라한 처지에 있는 것은 마찬가지이다. 서양의 보편적 인권 개념과 달리 중국에는 고유한 ‘중국식 인권’이 있으며, 그러한 인권을 ‘외교’ 수단으로 삼아 제국주의적 침략을 일삼고 있는 미국이 ‘인권’ 운운하는 것이 자가당착적이라는 일각의 반박 등 인권을 둘러싼 논쟁도 보편-특수, 서양주의-동양주의의 대립을 주요 축으로 삼고 있다. 하지만 대학을 비롯해 ‘철학의 죽음’이 선언된 지는 오래이다.
이처럼 시대는 철학의 개입을 절실히 요청하고 있는 듯하다. 하지만 포스트모더니즘이 철학의 죽음을 선언하자 실제로 철학은 죽어버린 듯하다. 이 책은 이처럼 절실한 시대적 요구에 응하고 있다. 그리고 이 책의 저자는 ‘지식에의 사랑’이라는 의미만큼 그것이 철학의 의미이고 사명이라고 주장한다. 두 번째로 이 책은 어떤 추상적인 서구의 이념이 아니라 바로 이 땅에서의 철학을 시도하고 있다(이럼 점에서 일찍이 그러한 주장을 실천하고 있는 김상봉과의 논쟁은 주목을 요한다). 즉 맑스주의, 포스트모더니즘, ‘탈주’, ‘사이버’ 등 추상적 이념이 아니라 인권이라는 구체적 현실을 둘러싼 이론적 논쟁에 본격적으로 개입하고 있는 것이다.
하지만 저자의 논의는 이곳에서의 인권이라는 특수주의적 논쟁에 갇히지 않는다. 오늘날 전 세계적으로 인권만큼 많은 논쟁을 낳고 있는 것이 없으며, 또 ‘인권’만큼 근대를 상징하는 단어도 없다. 따라서 이것은 무수한 철학적?정치적 논의를 양산해온 주제와 다름없을 것이다. 따라서 저자의 논의는 ‘특수’와 ‘보편’을 매개로 오늘날의 우리의 고민을 새롭게 사유할 수 있는 장으로 나아가려는 고투의 산물이라는 것이 드러날 것이다.
인권, 우리 시대 최대의 화두는 바로 철학의 과제이다.
미국이 이라크를 침공한 이유 중의 하나로 이라크의 ‘열악한 인권 상황’이 있었으나 결과는 이미 전 세계가 디 지켜보고 있는 바 그대로이다. 테러와의 전쟁 또한 관타나모 수용소라는 인권의 무화(無化) 지점을 만들어냈다. 경제개발에 일로 매진 중인 중국은 ‘먹고사는 것이 인권’이라며, 중국의 인권 침해에 대한 지적을 ‘내정 간섭’으로 간주하며, 이는 북한도 마찬가지이다. 한국에서 북한 인권은 ‘우파’의 전유물이다. 도대체 인권을 둘러싸고 무슨 일이 벌어지고 있는 것일까?
이를 둘러싼 갑론을박은 꼬리에 꼬리를 물고 이어지지만 그에 대해서는 ‘주장’만 있지 ‘결론’은 쉽게 내려지지 않는다. 그것은 흔히 정파적 결론으로 귀결되며, 종종 거리에서의 주장과 세대결고 이어지는 것이 상식으로 받아들여지고 있다. 심지어 ‘침묵의 대상’으로 간주되기도 한다. 이처럼 한편으로는 뜨거운 감자나 계륵 같기도 하고 다른 한편으로는 어떤 정파라도 상대방을 공격하기에 좋은 ‘정치적 무기’로 간주되는 인권은 단지 정치 문제나 사회 문제에 그치는 것처럼 보인다.
하지만 바로 그처럼 정파적 논란이라는 수렁에 빠져 있는 ‘인권’ 문제’야말로 철학의 과제라는 것이 저자의 주장이다. 철학은 지식에의 사랑인 만큼 시대의 고통을 껴안는 것이기도 하지만 무엇보다 인권을 둘러싼 ‘서양적 보편’과 ‘동양적 특수’라는 난제 중의 난제를 해결하는 데는 바로 철학이 최고의 무기이기 때문이다. 이에 대한 저자의 논의는 동양과 서양의 이분법을 넘어서는 것을 과제로 삼고 있으며, 동시에 서양에서 인권 논의를 주도해온 ‘자유주의’의 한계도 넘어서려고 한다. 이에 대한 성패 여부는 조금 더 기다려보아야 하겠으나 이 책이 최근 들어 한국 철학계의 주요한 성과로 우리의 철학적 사유를 한 단계 더 전진시키고 있는 것만큼은 분명해 보인다.
‘우리의’ 철학적 사유의 한 가지 모델을 제시하는 중견 철학자의 노작
이 책이 시대의 화두를 잡고 있다고 할 수 있는 것은 단순히 인권이 우리 시대의 주요 과제이어서만이 아니라 이 인권을 ‘가치’라는 좀더 보편적 개념으로 바꾸어보면 좀 더 쉽게 확인할 수 있다. 즉 지금까지 인권과 발전, 환경 등 근대의 주요 개념들은 ‘서구’에서 발생했으며, 동양은 이를 따라왔으나 이제 동양의 경제적 발전에 따라 그러한 개념들의 ‘보편성’이 의심되고 한계가 드러나고 있기 때문이다. 국내에서도 유교와 아시아적 가치를 주장하는 철학이 나오는 것은 이러한 징후 중의 하나이다. 또 주로 정치적 우파는 국내에서는 인권보다는 국가 안보를 최우선 가치를 내세우면서도 북한에는 인권을 요구하거나 거꾸로 좌파는 국내에만 인권의 시정을 요구하고 북한은 국가 안보를 최우선으로 할 수밖에 없는 사정이 있다고 용인하는 듯한 역설적 모습을 보이는 것 또한 ‘가치’를 핵심적으로 다루는 ‘철학의 개입’을 요청하고 있는 현실의 모습이라고 할 수 있다.이 책이 단순히 인권이라는 핵심적 가치에 대한 소중한 고찰을 담고 있는 점에서뿐만 아니라 앞으로 우리 사회에 계속 닥쳐올 ‘가치 논쟁’에 중요한 시금석이 될 수 있는 것은 이 때문이다. 예를 들어 세대 논쟁 또한 사실은 가치 문제를 핵심으로 하고 있으며, 최근의 ‘정의 문제’ 또한 사실은 가치 문제이지 않을까? 접기
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인권의 철학 중 '전통의 도덕적 메타모포시스'를 읽고
고등학교 근현대사 시간에 배웠던 ‘동도서기(東道西器)’에는 엄청난 오류가 있다?
이 책을 읽으면서 유년기 시절부터 자리잡아왔던 가치관이 흔들렸다. 그 가치관이라 함은 서구에서 유입된 개인주의, 자유주의적 문화의 한계를 우리 전통의 공동체주의적 지향을 통해 극복해야 한다는 생각 정도로 일축해 볼 수 있다.
그런데 이 책은 이러한 가치관, 즉 탈식민적 시도(문화 상대주의)는 성공할 수 없다고 단언한다. 식민화는 식민화된 대상의 문화적 언어 그 자체를 빼앗아 버리기 때문이라는 것이다. 조금 더 구체적으로 책 속의 예시를 빌려보면, 자본주의로 식민화된 문화는 자기 주장을 펼치고자 할 때, 자본주의의 전제라 할 수 있는 경쟁논리와 능력이데올로기로 자신들 전통의 우월성을 표현한다는 것이다.
무서운 일이 아닐 수 없다. 헤게모니 싸움에서 져, 제 3세계 나라에서 살아간다는 것은 빠져나갈 수 없는 원형감옥 파놉티콘에 입성하는 것과 같다는 생각에 책을 읽는 중간중간 몸서리가 쳐졌다.
저자는 자신의 생각을 정리하기 위해 ‘하버마스’라는 학자의 ‘절차적 보편주의’와 ‘마이클 월처’의 ‘해석학적 맥락주의’를 도구로 이용하였다. 하버마스는 전통들마다 겹쳐지는 보편성이 존재한다고 생각하여, 일정한 형식의 보편적인 잣대를 제시하였고, 월처는 구체적인 문화와 맥락 속에서 지배적인 이해방식과는 다른 차원의 ‘해석’이라는 행위를 통해 전통의 근본적인 자기비판을 제안했다.
두 이론은 공통적으로 구체적인 문화와 맥락에서 비판이 이루어져야 함을 명시하며, 전통 스스로 자기 반성이 필요하다고 주장한다. 절차적 보편주의와 해석학적 맥락주의를 참고해 저자는, 전통은 과거의 실천과 행위를 응축한 용어이기도 하지만, 현재적이면서 미래지향적이라고 설명한다. 앞의 두 이론가들처럼 저자 또한 전통이 살아남기 위해서는, 전통 스스로 철저한 비판과 반성이 필요하다고 주장한다. 마지막으로 저자는 식민지 경험에 따른 피해의식을 극복하기 위해 자아도취적으로 전통에 집착하는 것은 옳지 않으므로 비판과 반성을 통해 실천적·도덕적 보편성을 실현해야 함을 역설한다.
그런데 책을 읽고 나서, 나는 지금 이 글을 쓰고 있는 나 자신보다 훨씬 공부를 많이 한 분들의 생각에 무모하게도 회의감이 들었다. 문화적 상대주의는 무조건 좋은 것이라고만 생각 했던 나에게 충격적으로 다가왔던 문화상대주의에 대한 비판은 충격적이었지만, 사실 신선했다. 문화상대주의 (무의식적 세뇌를 통한)옹호론자에서 (학습과 이성을 통한)비판자로 순식간에 옷을 갈아 입은 나는 문득 하버마스와 월처, 그리고 이 책의 저자까지 비판하고 싶어졌다.
우선, 하버마스가 제시한 보편적인 잣대가 가장 먼저 눈에 거슬렸다. 보편성을 가장한 합리성과 이성은 서양의 가치이기 때문에, 모든 사람(문화)에게 좋고 정의로운 것은 아닐 수 있으며, 월처가 주장한 ‘해석’이라는 행위 또한 헤게모니적 문화의 입장에서 해석할 가능성이 다분하다. 마지막으로 저자가 전통의 비판과 반성을 통해 도덕적 보편성을 실현해야 한다는 주장 역시 보편성이라는 단어 자체에 특정 색이 입혀진 상황에서의 주장인 것은 아닌지 의문이 든다.
얼마 전에, 민족주의의 허구에 대한 책을 읽고 놀란 가슴을 다독였던 적이 있다. 생각해보니, 오늘이 두 번째였던 것 같다. 문화적 상대주의를 너무 믿고 있었던 것 같아 도리어 배신감까지 들 정도이다. 리뷰를 마쳐갈 즈음이 되니, 개인적인 배신감에. 당대의 지성이라고 불리는 학자들의 의견들 모두를 회의적으로 보고 싶어서 너무 심하게 오독(誤讀)을 한 것은 아닐까 걱정이 든다. 하지만 여전히, 당연하게 여겼던 세상의 것들이 뒤집어 질 때, 노곤했던 내 심장이 쫄깃해지는 것 같은 짜릿함은 잊을 수 없을만큼 좋다. 이 맛에 이렇게 어려운 인문·철학서를, 몇날 밤을 새는 고생을 해가며 읽는건 아닐까.
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Altered Egos: How the Brain Creates the Self eBook : Feinberg, Todd E.: Amazon.com.au: Books
Altered Egos: How the Brain Creates the Self eBook : Feinberg, Todd E.: Amazon.com.au: Books
Altered Egos: How the Brain Creates the Self 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
by Todd E. Feinberg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 9
It may be the deepest mystery of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience: how does the brain unite to create the self, the subjective "I"? In Altered Egos, Dr. Todd Feinberg presents a new theory of the self, based on his first-hand experience as both a psychiatrist and neurologist.
Feinberg first introduces the reader to dozens of intriguing cases of patients whose disorders have resulted in what he calls "altered egos": a change in the brain that transforms the boundaries of the self. He describes patients who suffer from "alien hand syndrome" where one hand might attack the patient's own throat, patients with frontal lobe damage who invent fantastic stories about their lives, paralyzed patients who reject and disown one of their limbs. Feinberg argues that the brain damage suffered by these people has done more than simply impair certain functions--it has fragmented their sense of self. After illustrating how these patients provide a window into the self and the mind, the author presents a new model of the self that links the workings of the brain with unique and personal features of the mind, such as meaning, purpose, and being. Drawing on his own and other evidence, Feinberg explains how the unified self, while not located in one or another brain region, arises out of the staggering complexity and number of the brain's component parts.
Lucid, insightful, filled with fascinating case studies and provocative new ideas, Altered Egos promises to change the way we think about human consciousness and the creation and maintenance of human identity.
Read less
Product description
Review
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist
"Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind
"A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand, ' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director
"This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
"In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain
Review
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist "Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind "A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director "This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania "In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain "Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist "Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind "A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, director of Good Will Hunting and Psycho "This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning.... I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania "In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain "Altered Egos combines philosophy and psychology with case histories of neurological and psychiatric patients to paint a novel picture of how the brain makes the self. It's fascinating reading, start to finish." --Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and author of The Emotional Brain
Review
"A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director
"Altered Egos combines philosophy and psychology with case histories of neurological and psychiatric patients to paint a novel picture of how the brain makes the self. It's fascinating reading, start to finish." --Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and author of The Emotional Brain
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist
"Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind
"This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
"In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain
From the Publisher
Todd E. Feinberg, M.D. is Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief of the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
About the Author
Todd E. Feinberg, M.D. is Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief of the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
Read less
Product details
ASIN : B00WBN5CUW
Publisher : Oxford University Press; 1st edition (2 May 2002)
Language : English
File size : 1317 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
Print length : 215 pages
Altered Egos: How the Brain Creates the Self 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
by Todd E. Feinberg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 9
It may be the deepest mystery of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience: how does the brain unite to create the self, the subjective "I"? In Altered Egos, Dr. Todd Feinberg presents a new theory of the self, based on his first-hand experience as both a psychiatrist and neurologist.
Feinberg first introduces the reader to dozens of intriguing cases of patients whose disorders have resulted in what he calls "altered egos": a change in the brain that transforms the boundaries of the self. He describes patients who suffer from "alien hand syndrome" where one hand might attack the patient's own throat, patients with frontal lobe damage who invent fantastic stories about their lives, paralyzed patients who reject and disown one of their limbs. Feinberg argues that the brain damage suffered by these people has done more than simply impair certain functions--it has fragmented their sense of self. After illustrating how these patients provide a window into the self and the mind, the author presents a new model of the self that links the workings of the brain with unique and personal features of the mind, such as meaning, purpose, and being. Drawing on his own and other evidence, Feinberg explains how the unified self, while not located in one or another brain region, arises out of the staggering complexity and number of the brain's component parts.
Lucid, insightful, filled with fascinating case studies and provocative new ideas, Altered Egos promises to change the way we think about human consciousness and the creation and maintenance of human identity.
Read less
Product description
Review
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist
"Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind
"A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand, ' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director
"This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
"In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain
Review
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist "Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind "A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director "This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania "In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain "Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist "Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind "A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, director of Good Will Hunting and Psycho "This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning.... I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania "In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain "Altered Egos combines philosophy and psychology with case histories of neurological and psychiatric patients to paint a novel picture of how the brain makes the self. It's fascinating reading, start to finish." --Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and author of The Emotional Brain
Review
"A fascinating book. I was astonished to find out that one of my favorite film characters, Dr. Strangelove, is actually displaying signs of 'alien hand,' a medical syndrome. There are many real-life case studies in this book used to explain the way the human mind invents and reinvents itself. A must read!"--Gus Van Sant, film director
"Altered Egos combines philosophy and psychology with case histories of neurological and psychiatric patients to paint a novel picture of how the brain makes the self. It's fascinating reading, start to finish." --Joseph E. LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and author of The Emotional Brain
"Altered Egos offers us a dazzling array of neurological syndromes to show how delicately constructed is our sense of self...The shock of such tales is to see how distorted your mental realm can become without you ever knowing the difference." --New Scientist
"Anyone perplexed by the riddle of consciousness--and who is not these days?--should read Todd Feinberg's bold, energetic account of how a brain makes a mind."--John Horgan, author of The Undiscovered Mind
"This is an ambitious work, tackling no less than the mind-body problem. Amazingly, it is successful in that it offers a new way of thinking about problems of self, subjectivity and meaning . . . I am extremely enthusiastic about this book."--Martha J. Farah, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
"In the tradition of Jackson, Critchley, and Sacks, Todd Feinberg melds clinical wisdom, impressive scholarship, and profound philosophical insight to produce a lucid and enchanting account of what determines our daily actions and experiences. Far beyond the tired genre of "neurostories," Altered Egos examines the souls behind the symptoms to give the reader a stunning appreciation of how all the aspects of our lives that we take for grantedour perceptions, memories, feelings, and beliefsare actually sculpted and crafted from myriad experiential elements that can only be dissected and examined under the harsh lens of injury or disease. Above all, Altered Egos shows us how intentionalitythe purposeful seeking of meaningis what distinguishes us from both beast and computer, and this warm and thoughtful book provides a blueprint of what it truly means to be a human being."-- Laurence Miller, Ph.D., author of Inner Natures and Freud's Brain
From the Publisher
Todd E. Feinberg, M.D. is Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief of the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
About the Author
Todd E. Feinberg, M.D. is Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief of the Betty and Morton Yarmon Division of Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
Read less
Product details
ASIN : B00WBN5CUW
Publisher : Oxford University Press; 1st edition (2 May 2002)
Language : English
File size : 1317 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
Print length : 215 pages
==
Customer Reviews:
Top reviews from other countries
Ben C.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating, Neurological Perspective on the Mind-Body EnigmaReviewed in the United States on 6 December 2013
Verified Purchase
Todd E. Feinberg’s Altered Egos represents a fascinating and unique perspective on the metaphysical enigma known as the mind-body problem. As an Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Feinberg employs anecdotal evidence of how neurological disorders affect the self to provide a possible solution. As a prospective neurologist, I found his conception of consciousness to be an enlightening and entertaining read that encouraged my interests in the field via its clinical stories and resolved many of my personal philosophical uncertainties regarding the mind.
Structurally, Altered Egos is bifurcated into an expository exploration of numerous cases of self-distorting disorders and a philosophical treatise concerning the formation of the self and the emergence of consciousness from the brain. The former is a fascinating and intriguing excursion into a realm of neuropsychiatric disorders that I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book. Feinberg describes a variety of confabulatory, proprioceptive, and perceptual disorders of past patients, including asomatognosia, a condition following strokes that causes one to “reject, misidentify, or deny a part of their body,” as is exemplified by individuals spookily attributing a left limb to a deceased loved one. The latter section of the book uses this information to illustrate the relationship between the self, a facet of the mind, and the brain. Ultimately, Feinberg advocates that consciousness “emerges” from a “nested hierarchy of meaning and purpose” created in the brain. He suggests that meaning and purpose provide “the constraint that ‘pulls’ the mind together to form the ‘inner I’ of the self.” This “inner I” represents the subjective dimension of the brain and rationalizes the labeling of consciousness as being “emergent.” Consciousness is said to have both an objective and a subjective, first-person reality, the latter of which cannot be reduced to “nothing but” the physical processes of the brain. The mind is, thus, “more than the sum of its parts,” being “causally reducible,” but “ontologically irreducible.”
Altered Egos is a compelling and delightfully comprehensive book. The sheer variety and number of topics covered is astounding. The diversity of disciplinary viewpoints provided (biological, philosophical, psychological) will make the book intriguing for the philosopher, the neuroscientist, and the layman. As a neuroscience student, I found that the disorders discussed were reflective of topics from my classes. The peculiarity of the clinical stories furthered my interests in pursuing a position in the field of neurology. The theories presented in the book also provided me a sense of resolution, as the struggle to reconcile a belief in the irreducibility of consciousness and my own pursuits in neuroscience had plagued me considerably prior to reading. Unfortunately, questions still remain regarding the nature of the mind and consciousness, but these are characteristic of any address of the mind-body problem and are not reflective of any deficit of this book.
Feinberg’s theory presented in Altered Egos is the most intuitively satisfying of the “solutions” to the mind-body problem that I’ve read (along with John Searle’s harmonious “biological naturalism”). The book offers a unique perspective on the metaphysical conundrum that is grounded in neurological case studies, each of which are fascinating accounts on the terrifying and amazing capabilities of the human brain and its ability to alter one’s sense of self. I suggest that anyone interested in neuroscience, philosophy of the mind, or the nature of one’s being read this book.
Read less
3 people found this helpfulReport
Paul P. Mealing
4.0 out of 5 stars Combines neuroscience with philosophyReviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2012
Verified Purchase
I have to admit I found the early chapters in this book a little disconcerting, if not disturbing, as Feinberg describes what happens when parts of the brain go wrong. But the point he makes, similar to Oliver Sacks in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, is that the 'self' is extraordinarily resilient. It's in the latter part of the book that Feinberg addresses the philosophical dimensions of this topic, and I think that's what makes the book worth reading. Feinberg's specific approach is of a 'nested hierarchy', which he claims is evident throughout biology whereby the 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. His discussion on the difference between the 'subjective' and 'objective' experience of consciousness is the best I've read on the subject. He makes the point that the brain is 'not aware of itself' but of everything else. He argues that the mind is only `material' to the possessor, but `immaterial' to an observer. Therefore, everyone's conscious experience is a 'delusion' to everyone else. He makes a compelling argument that computers will never be sentient and therefore never be alive.
Elvene (1 Volume Set)
2 people found this helpfulReport
Bruce Egert
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide for all who Care about the MindReviewed in the United States on 12 June 2001
Verified Purchase
I have taken the time to read Dr. Feinberg's book not once, but twice, in order to get its full flavor. As one practices law and who deals with clients with neurological injuries, both as injury victims and the elderly I am amazed at how well the author explains the nuances between mind and "self" or as I like it: the way one presents him or her self to the world.
The book is very readable and does not contain any pedantic phrases or highly technical scientific terms that are often replete in such texts. Instead it very ably explains much of what needs to be known about the brain.
Dr. Feinberg's insight should inspire other researchers and academics to continue their inquiry into the function of the brain so that we can all become more aware and knowledgable about ourselves and those around us.
9 people found this helpfulReport
Vanessa Artiaga
5.0 out of 5 stars It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an ...Reviewed in the United States on 25 June 2015
Verified Purchase
It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an assignment but honestly I'd read it for leisure too.
One person found this helpfulReport
Top reviews from other countries
Ben C.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating, Neurological Perspective on the Mind-Body EnigmaReviewed in the United States on 6 December 2013
Verified Purchase
Todd E. Feinberg’s Altered Egos represents a fascinating and unique perspective on the metaphysical enigma known as the mind-body problem. As an Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Feinberg employs anecdotal evidence of how neurological disorders affect the self to provide a possible solution. As a prospective neurologist, I found his conception of consciousness to be an enlightening and entertaining read that encouraged my interests in the field via its clinical stories and resolved many of my personal philosophical uncertainties regarding the mind.
Structurally, Altered Egos is bifurcated into an expository exploration of numerous cases of self-distorting disorders and a philosophical treatise concerning the formation of the self and the emergence of consciousness from the brain. The former is a fascinating and intriguing excursion into a realm of neuropsychiatric disorders that I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book. Feinberg describes a variety of confabulatory, proprioceptive, and perceptual disorders of past patients, including asomatognosia, a condition following strokes that causes one to “reject, misidentify, or deny a part of their body,” as is exemplified by individuals spookily attributing a left limb to a deceased loved one. The latter section of the book uses this information to illustrate the relationship between the self, a facet of the mind, and the brain. Ultimately, Feinberg advocates that consciousness “emerges” from a “nested hierarchy of meaning and purpose” created in the brain. He suggests that meaning and purpose provide “the constraint that ‘pulls’ the mind together to form the ‘inner I’ of the self.” This “inner I” represents the subjective dimension of the brain and rationalizes the labeling of consciousness as being “emergent.” Consciousness is said to have both an objective and a subjective, first-person reality, the latter of which cannot be reduced to “nothing but” the physical processes of the brain. The mind is, thus, “more than the sum of its parts,” being “causally reducible,” but “ontologically irreducible.”
Altered Egos is a compelling and delightfully comprehensive book. The sheer variety and number of topics covered is astounding. The diversity of disciplinary viewpoints provided (biological, philosophical, psychological) will make the book intriguing for the philosopher, the neuroscientist, and the layman. As a neuroscience student, I found that the disorders discussed were reflective of topics from my classes. The peculiarity of the clinical stories furthered my interests in pursuing a position in the field of neurology. The theories presented in the book also provided me a sense of resolution, as the struggle to reconcile a belief in the irreducibility of consciousness and my own pursuits in neuroscience had plagued me considerably prior to reading. Unfortunately, questions still remain regarding the nature of the mind and consciousness, but these are characteristic of any address of the mind-body problem and are not reflective of any deficit of this book.
Feinberg’s theory presented in Altered Egos is the most intuitively satisfying of the “solutions” to the mind-body problem that I’ve read (along with John Searle’s harmonious “biological naturalism”). The book offers a unique perspective on the metaphysical conundrum that is grounded in neurological case studies, each of which are fascinating accounts on the terrifying and amazing capabilities of the human brain and its ability to alter one’s sense of self. I suggest that anyone interested in neuroscience, philosophy of the mind, or the nature of one’s being read this book.
Read less
3 people found this helpfulReport
Paul P. Mealing
4.0 out of 5 stars Combines neuroscience with philosophyReviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2012
Verified Purchase
I have to admit I found the early chapters in this book a little disconcerting, if not disturbing, as Feinberg describes what happens when parts of the brain go wrong. But the point he makes, similar to Oliver Sacks in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, is that the 'self' is extraordinarily resilient. It's in the latter part of the book that Feinberg addresses the philosophical dimensions of this topic, and I think that's what makes the book worth reading. Feinberg's specific approach is of a 'nested hierarchy', which he claims is evident throughout biology whereby the 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts'. His discussion on the difference between the 'subjective' and 'objective' experience of consciousness is the best I've read on the subject. He makes the point that the brain is 'not aware of itself' but of everything else. He argues that the mind is only `material' to the possessor, but `immaterial' to an observer. Therefore, everyone's conscious experience is a 'delusion' to everyone else. He makes a compelling argument that computers will never be sentient and therefore never be alive.
Elvene (1 Volume Set)
2 people found this helpfulReport
Bruce Egert
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide for all who Care about the MindReviewed in the United States on 12 June 2001
Verified Purchase
I have taken the time to read Dr. Feinberg's book not once, but twice, in order to get its full flavor. As one practices law and who deals with clients with neurological injuries, both as injury victims and the elderly I am amazed at how well the author explains the nuances between mind and "self" or as I like it: the way one presents him or her self to the world.
The book is very readable and does not contain any pedantic phrases or highly technical scientific terms that are often replete in such texts. Instead it very ably explains much of what needs to be known about the brain.
Dr. Feinberg's insight should inspire other researchers and academics to continue their inquiry into the function of the brain so that we can all become more aware and knowledgable about ourselves and those around us.
9 people found this helpfulReport
Vanessa Artiaga
5.0 out of 5 stars It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an ...Reviewed in the United States on 25 June 2015
Verified Purchase
It's actually a great book. I had to read it for an assignment but honestly I'd read it for leisure too.
One person found this helpfulReport
==
The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience by Todd E. Feinberg | Goodreads
The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience by Todd E. Feinberg | Goodreads
The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience
Todd E. Feinberg, Jon M. Mallatt
4.24
51 ratings10 reviews
Want to read
Buy on Kobo
Rate this book
How consciousness appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than is commonly assumed, and why all vertebrates and perhaps even some invertebrates are conscious.
How is consciousness created? When did it first appear on Earth, and how did it evolve? What constitutes consciousness, and which animals can be said to be sentient? In this book, Todd Feinberg and Jon Mallatt draw on recent scientific findings to answer these questions -- and to tackle the most fundamental question about the nature of consciousness: how does the material brain create subjective experience?
After assembling a list of the biological and neurobiological features that seem responsible for consciousness, and considering the fossil record of evolution, Feinberg and Mallatt argue that consciousness appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than is commonly assumed. About 520 to 560 million years ago, they explain, the great "Cambrian explosion" of animal diversity produced the first complex brains, which were accompanied by the first appearance of consciousness; simple reflexive behaviors evolved into a unified inner world of subjective experiences. From this they deduce that all vertebrates are and have always been conscious -- not just humans and other mammals, but also every fish, reptile, amphibian, and bird. Considering invertebrates, they find that arthropods (including insects and probably crustaceans) and cephalopods (including the octopus) meet many of the criteria for consciousness. The obvious and conventional wisdom--shattering implication is that consciousness evolved simultaneously but independently in the first vertebrates and possibly arthropods more than half a billion years ago. Combining evolutionary, neurobiological, and philosophical approaches allows Feinberg and Mallatt to offer an original solution to the "hard problem" of consciousness.
GenresNeuroscienceSciencePsychologyBiologyPhilosophyNonfiction
366 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
Book details & editions
Sandra
274 reviews · 61 followers
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August 13, 2019
Extremely technical, but with some effort still fairly informative for a general reader. All (neuro)science and biology, no quantum woo-woo.
neuroscience philosophy science
4 likes
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Kobe Bryant
1,040 reviews · 163 followers
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March 24, 2021
all the stuff on the evolution of the senses was very cool
1 like
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Yon -
1 review
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January 24, 2017
This book is really useful for understanding consciousness! It traces the structures of the brain that provide Phenomenal Consciousness, which is also referred to as Sensory Consciousness and Primary Consciousness. There are dozens of exquisitely detailed diagrams of brains along the evolutionary journey to Consciousness created by Jill Gregory and Courtney McKenna. The diagram to the left is a schematic brain of the Lamprey, a living equivalent of the first animal that had an advanced Optic Tesctum which provided an isomorphic map of the visual field in an array of tissue that created a "mental image". The diagrams really elevate Gregory & McKenna to honoary co-authors.
In addition to the timeline of the evolution of the brain structures that support Sensory Consciousness, there are the system level constituent parts: Exteroception, Interoception and Affective Consciousness. (p. 131) Other 'ceptions discussed: proprioception and nosioception, also perception - not mentioned: Neuroception, Reception, Interception, Conception, Exception, Deception, or Inception.
Nice simple definition of Consciousness - that works for me:
p. 111: "But to us, real consciousness is indeicated by the (optic tectum) making a multisensory map of the world and then attending to the most important object in this map and then signalling behaviors"... based on the map.
p.5 NSFCs are introduced. A bit like the NCCs of Christof Koch - Nueral Correlates of Consciousness. NoSFCs are NueroOntologically Subjective Features of Consciousness. This phrase is important for closing the Expanatory Gaps and the "hard problem".
NoSFCs:
1) Mental Unity - we have one coherrent notion of Reality.
2) Qualia - subjective perceptrons of qualities.
3) Referral, aka Projection - Reality seems to be Out There, not in our heads.
4) Mental Causation, imagining how our behaviors could influence Reality helps us understand what we see.
p.18 Table 2.1 The Defining Features of Consciousness (gen-refl-spec):
Level 1: General Biological Features: life, embodiement, processes, self organizing systems, emergence, teleonomy & adaption.
Level 2: Reflexes of animals with nerevous systems.
Level 3: Special Neurobiological Features (not exactly as in Table 2.1):
- Complex Hierarchy (of networks)
- Nested and non-nested processes, aka recursive, aka re-rentrant,
- Isomorphic representations and mental images
- Affective States
- Attention
- Memory
1 like
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Matt M Perez
7 reviews
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January 1, 2018
Mind blowing (pun intended)
Very, very thorough meta-study of brain research combined with a mjlti-perspective theory of consciousness. 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 like
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Comment
Rhys
774 reviews · 107 followers
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April 6, 2018
Extremely well written for what is a pretty dense book on the emergence of sensory and affective consciousness. There are a lot of potential social/moral repercussions from the perspective that consciousness emerged with the vertebrates.
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Comment
Paul
1 book · 1 follower
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August 26, 2021
Nice, systematic and biologically grounded approach to consciousness. Continuity oriented, with most vertebrates and some invertebrates seen as sharing basic sensory consciousness, but associative and self-conscious aspects only in the more complex brains of amniotic vertebrates
Like
Comment
Taylor
29 reviews · 1 follower
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October 30, 2018
A really interesting overview of consciousness - what it is, how it arises in the brain, and who has it. Very thought provoking.
Like
Comment
Mooncalf
37 reviews · 25 followers
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April 27, 2019
Excellent book. Particularly strong on the biology and neuroscience aspect of the question. One of the best books you'll find on the question of which animals are conscious.
Like
Comment
Kevin
176 reviews · 16 followers
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November 15, 2021
Stunning, breaks down consciousness into three crucial aspects and convincingly shows us that consciousness predates mammals and birds by 100s of millions of years. A must-read.
biology brain-symbol-experience evolution
...more
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Alberto Tebaldi
434 reviews · 4 followers
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August 31, 2023
dense and at times difficult, but extremely interesting topic
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience
Todd E. Feinberg, Jon M. Mallatt
4.24
51 ratings10 reviews
Want to read
Buy on Kobo
Rate this book
How consciousness appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than is commonly assumed, and why all vertebrates and perhaps even some invertebrates are conscious.
How is consciousness created? When did it first appear on Earth, and how did it evolve? What constitutes consciousness, and which animals can be said to be sentient? In this book, Todd Feinberg and Jon Mallatt draw on recent scientific findings to answer these questions -- and to tackle the most fundamental question about the nature of consciousness: how does the material brain create subjective experience?
After assembling a list of the biological and neurobiological features that seem responsible for consciousness, and considering the fossil record of evolution, Feinberg and Mallatt argue that consciousness appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than is commonly assumed. About 520 to 560 million years ago, they explain, the great "Cambrian explosion" of animal diversity produced the first complex brains, which were accompanied by the first appearance of consciousness; simple reflexive behaviors evolved into a unified inner world of subjective experiences. From this they deduce that all vertebrates are and have always been conscious -- not just humans and other mammals, but also every fish, reptile, amphibian, and bird. Considering invertebrates, they find that arthropods (including insects and probably crustaceans) and cephalopods (including the octopus) meet many of the criteria for consciousness. The obvious and conventional wisdom--shattering implication is that consciousness evolved simultaneously but independently in the first vertebrates and possibly arthropods more than half a billion years ago. Combining evolutionary, neurobiological, and philosophical approaches allows Feinberg and Mallatt to offer an original solution to the "hard problem" of consciousness.
GenresNeuroscienceSciencePsychologyBiologyPhilosophyNonfiction
366 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
Book details & editions
Sandra
274 reviews · 61 followers
Follow
August 13, 2019
Extremely technical, but with some effort still fairly informative for a general reader. All (neuro)science and biology, no quantum woo-woo.
neuroscience philosophy science
4 likes
Like
Comment
Kobe Bryant
1,040 reviews · 163 followers
Follow
March 24, 2021
all the stuff on the evolution of the senses was very cool
1 like
Like
Comment
Yon -
1 review
Follow
January 24, 2017
This book is really useful for understanding consciousness! It traces the structures of the brain that provide Phenomenal Consciousness, which is also referred to as Sensory Consciousness and Primary Consciousness. There are dozens of exquisitely detailed diagrams of brains along the evolutionary journey to Consciousness created by Jill Gregory and Courtney McKenna. The diagram to the left is a schematic brain of the Lamprey, a living equivalent of the first animal that had an advanced Optic Tesctum which provided an isomorphic map of the visual field in an array of tissue that created a "mental image". The diagrams really elevate Gregory & McKenna to honoary co-authors.
In addition to the timeline of the evolution of the brain structures that support Sensory Consciousness, there are the system level constituent parts: Exteroception, Interoception and Affective Consciousness. (p. 131) Other 'ceptions discussed: proprioception and nosioception, also perception - not mentioned: Neuroception, Reception, Interception, Conception, Exception, Deception, or Inception.
Nice simple definition of Consciousness - that works for me:
p. 111: "But to us, real consciousness is indeicated by the (optic tectum) making a multisensory map of the world and then attending to the most important object in this map and then signalling behaviors"... based on the map.
p.5 NSFCs are introduced. A bit like the NCCs of Christof Koch - Nueral Correlates of Consciousness. NoSFCs are NueroOntologically Subjective Features of Consciousness. This phrase is important for closing the Expanatory Gaps and the "hard problem".
NoSFCs:
1) Mental Unity - we have one coherrent notion of Reality.
2) Qualia - subjective perceptrons of qualities.
3) Referral, aka Projection - Reality seems to be Out There, not in our heads.
4) Mental Causation, imagining how our behaviors could influence Reality helps us understand what we see.
p.18 Table 2.1 The Defining Features of Consciousness (gen-refl-spec):
Level 1: General Biological Features: life, embodiement, processes, self organizing systems, emergence, teleonomy & adaption.
Level 2: Reflexes of animals with nerevous systems.
Level 3: Special Neurobiological Features (not exactly as in Table 2.1):
- Complex Hierarchy (of networks)
- Nested and non-nested processes, aka recursive, aka re-rentrant,
- Isomorphic representations and mental images
- Affective States
- Attention
- Memory
1 like
Like
Comment
Matt M Perez
7 reviews
Follow
January 1, 2018
Mind blowing (pun intended)
Very, very thorough meta-study of brain research combined with a mjlti-perspective theory of consciousness. 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 like
Like
Comment
Rhys
774 reviews · 107 followers
Follow
April 6, 2018
Extremely well written for what is a pretty dense book on the emergence of sensory and affective consciousness. There are a lot of potential social/moral repercussions from the perspective that consciousness emerged with the vertebrates.
Like
Comment
Paul
1 book · 1 follower
Follow
August 26, 2021
Nice, systematic and biologically grounded approach to consciousness. Continuity oriented, with most vertebrates and some invertebrates seen as sharing basic sensory consciousness, but associative and self-conscious aspects only in the more complex brains of amniotic vertebrates
Like
Comment
Taylor
29 reviews · 1 follower
Follow
October 30, 2018
A really interesting overview of consciousness - what it is, how it arises in the brain, and who has it. Very thought provoking.
Like
Comment
Mooncalf
37 reviews · 25 followers
Follow
April 27, 2019
Excellent book. Particularly strong on the biology and neuroscience aspect of the question. One of the best books you'll find on the question of which animals are conscious.
Like
Comment
Kevin
176 reviews · 16 followers
Follow
November 15, 2021
Stunning, breaks down consciousness into three crucial aspects and convincingly shows us that consciousness predates mammals and birds by 100s of millions of years. A must-read.
biology brain-symbol-experience evolution
...more
Like
Comment
Alberto Tebaldi
434 reviews · 4 followers
Follow
August 31, 2023
dense and at times difficult, but extremely interesting topic
Like
Comment
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
===
YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh
5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Vision of the Development of Consciousness
Reviewed in the United States on 5 December 2016
Verified Purchase
58 Figures, 220 pages of text, 36 pages of notes, 60 pages of references and 18 pages of index.
This book traces the structures of the brain that provide Phenomenal Consciousness, which is also referred to as Sensory Consciousness and Primary Consciousness. There are dozens of exquisitely detailed diagrams of brains along the evolutionary journey to Consciousness created by Jill Gregory and Courtney McKenna. For example, Figure 6.4 on page 106 is a schematic brain of the Lamprey, a living equivalent of the first animal that had an advanced Optic Tesctum which provided an isomorphic map of the visual field in an array of tissue that created a "mental image". The diagrams really elevate Gregory & McKenna to honoary co-authors.
In addition to the timeline of the evolution of the brain structures that support Sensory Consciousness, there are the system level constituent parts: Exteroception, Interoception and Affective Consciousness. (p. 131) Other 'ceptions discussed: proprioception and nosioception, also perception - not mentioned: Neuroception, Reception, Interception, Conception, Exception, Deception, or Inception.
As I am primarily interested in Human Consciousness, I skimmed a couple of the chapters, but, even skimming showed a rich harvest of information that allows the common themes of consciousness.
Nice simple definition of Consciousness - that works for me:
p. 111: "But to us, real consciousness is indeicated by the (optic tectum) making a multisensory map of the world and then attending to the most important object in this map and then signalling behaviors"... based on the map.
Page.5 NSFCs are introduced. A bit like the NCCs of Christof Koch - Neural Correlates of Consciousness. NoSFCs are NueroOntologically Subjective Features of Consciousness. This phrase is important for closing the Expanatory Gaps and the "hard problem".
NoSFCs:
1) Mental Unity - we have one coherrent notion of Reality.
2) Qualia - subjective perceptrons of qualities.
3) Referral, aka Projection - Reality seems to be Out There, not in our heads.
3.1 - mental causation - behaviors influence Reality.
Page.18 Table 2.1 The Defining Features of Consciousness (gen-refl-spec):
Level 1: General Biological Features: life, embodiement, processes, self organizing systems, emergence, teleonomy & adaption.
Level 2: Reflexes of animals with nerevous systems.
Level 3: Special Neurobiological Features (not exactly as in Table 2.1):
- Complex Hierarchy (of networks)
- Nested and non-nested processes, aka recursive, aka re-rentrant,
- Isomorphic representations and mental images
- Affective States
- Attention
- Memory
p.215: This book does not address higher levels of consciousness - full-blown self-awareness, meta-awareness, recognition of the Self in mirrors, Theory of Mind, Access to verbal self-reporting.
p.217 Consciousness is Adaptive - we evolved them for survival. All of the NoSFCs provide distint advantages to the beholder.
p.224 Mental Unity is a process, not locatable to s single brain region, it requires to synchronized oscillations to unify multiple networks.
The book uses quotes from other research extensively - to good effect. The conclusion starts with Francis Crick: "The Astonising Hypothesis is that "You", your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behaviour of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules. As Lewis Carroll's Alice might have phrased: "You're nothing but a pack of neurons.".
Not true, the emergent behaviors from complex hierarchies, etc, etc, make a qualitative difference. Given the books detailed explanations, the objective and the sensory aspects of consciousness can be explained to close the gap.
The addition of the evolutionary and philosphical explanations "bridge the gap" of NueroOntological Subjectivity, which, essentially, solves the hard problem.
This book has provides much grist for the mill. Enjoy it!!!
14 people found this helpful
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Mike Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A broad approach that woke me from my anthropocentric slumber
Reviewed in the United States on 24 September 2016
Verified Purchase
It's often the case that you can make difficult problems less so by taking a broader view, by widening the context. Feinberg and Mallatt's broad evolutionary approach have woken me from my anthropocentric slumber when it comes to pondering consciousness. In doing so, they've changed my views on consciousness in two broad ways.
First, primary or sensory consciousness is ancient. While theory of mind self awareness probably doesn't arise until the evolution of social species, a more primitive form of consciousness appears to exist in all vertebrates, and probably also in cephalopods (octopusses and related species), arthropods, and possibly even insects.
And that leads to the second realization. Consciousness is about creating image maps of the environment and oneself. But systems that do it with orders of magnitude less sophistication than humans can still trigger our intuition of a fellow conscious being. Feinberg and Mallatt don't explore the implications of this beyond biology, but it certainly caused me to ponder them.
This book gets technical at times, but as a scientifically literate lay reader, I found it mostly approachable. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the biology and evolution of consciousness.
6 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 11 November 2017
Verified Purchase
best scientific book it have read in a long time - expect it to become a classic
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Anthony W.
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, was not a quick read for me
Reviewed in the United States on 15 October 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is well done in an academic way. All assertions are backed by copious notes, references and drawings. The information provided is detailed and can take quite some time to absorb. Whether the primary contentions on the long history of conscious organisms on earth are valid and whether the "hard problem" is solved will still be argued by many from many sides. I find the thought that through evolution vision and the other senses are brought together in the brain to build a representation of external and internal reality that is then the basis for how the organism responds to sensory input is a plausible route to consciousness. Read the book to see if you agree.
5 people found this helpful
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S D HOLLOWAY
2.0 out of 5 stars A Huge Disappointment
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2016
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After reading a review of this book (by Steven Rose in the Guardian) I was very hopeful that I would find something new on consciousness, perhaps something as radical Julian Jaynes. Sadly this was not to be. The authors, psychiatrist Todd Feinberg and evolutionary biologist Jon Mallett, have stuck to the well established and now rather hackneyed belief that the brain produces consciousness. They do mention David Chalmers and "the hard problem" but lightly glide over this little problem. For the authors consciousness just naturally arise when the neural system reaches a certain level of complexity. They do come up with something new by entirely redefining what is meant by "consciousness". They decide to define consciousness as the ability of the neural system to turn optical input into mental images. All they have to do now is say how evolution produced this ability and when it occurred. They then make a whole series of assertions about how this came about. All of this is conducted in thoroughly academic fashion through the use of lots of newly invented words and a complex formulation of assertions that particular neural development necessitate certain mental experiences. It is a beautiful construction and may well convince then average reader that here is something profound. The conclusion the authors arrive at is that "consciousness" (as they have defined it) arose approximately 520 million years ago. So now you know.
9 people found this helpful
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Thomas Simmons
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on evolution since Darwin himself.
Reviewed in the United States on 13 June 2018
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Wow. This interdisciplinary book combines multiple paleontological, neurological, and psychological disciplines to argue for the advent of sentience--I'm not sure I myself would call it "consciousness"--hundreds of millions of years earlier than anyone has previously argued. I find it one of the most useful scientific contributions to the subject of evolution since Darwin himself, and I in fact am primarily interested not in consciousness but in the unconscious. Even so, this book is exceptionally useful.
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Joseph Gilberts
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book at a great price with fast delivery
Reviewed in the United States on 30 April 2018
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The book came well packaged. I am reading now and am enjoying it. A great book at a great price with fast delivery...couldn't ask for more.
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Ken
2.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge a book by its cover...
Reviewed in the United States on 8 June 2020
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From page 108... "This multi-sensory mapping is reflected in the tectum's neuronal layering or lamination where the different layers receive different classes of sensory input and the mapped inputs from the different senses are in typographic register with one another."
If you don't mind "slogging" through 227 pages of this type of writing, then by all means, go ahead and purchase this book. I actually understood most of this sentence, but only after I reread it 5 or more times.
I decided to purchase this book based on the front and back cover and mostly positive reviews. I wish I had taken the time to use Amazon's "Look Inside" feature. When I read to learn, I want to actually enjoy the experience while I absorb the content. Sean Carroll's physics and quantum mechanics book "The Big Picture" is the most perfect example of this type of writing. It taught me that even the most complicated subjects can be written about in a way that is understandable and fun for lay-persons.
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Matt M Perez
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind blowing (pun intended)
Reviewed in the United States on 1 January 2018
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Very, very thorough meta-study of brain research combined with a mjlti-perspective theory of consciousness. 1 2 3 4 5 6
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