The Ego Tunnel
Author | : Thomas Metzinger |
Publisher | : Hachette UK |
Total Pages | : 276 |
Release | : 2009-03-17 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780786744428 |
ISBN-13 | : 0786744421 |
Rating | : 4/5 (421 Downloads) |
Download or read book The Ego Tunnel written by Thomas Metzinger and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examine the inner workings of the mind and learn what consciousness and a sense of self really means - and if it even exists. We're used to thinking about the self as an independent entity, something that we either have or are. In The Ego Tunnel, philosopher Thomas Metzinger claims otherwise: No such thing as a self exists. The conscious self is the content of a model created by our brain-an internal image, but one we cannot experience as an image. Everything we experience is "a virtual self in a virtual reality."But if the self is not "real," why and how did it evolve? How does the brain construct it? Do we still have souls, free will, personal autonomy, or moral accountability? In a time when the science of cognition is becoming as controversial as evolution, The Ego Tunnel provides a stunningly original take on the mystery of the mind.