A History of the Mind

How does the water of the brain yield the wine of conscious experience? What's the link between bodily activity & our inner feeling of what it’s like to be ourselves?
The problem of qualia—the so-called 'hard problem' of consciousness—has intrigued philosophers for generations & remains the greatest challenge to contemporary science.

This path-breaking book examines the issues in the light of evolutionary history & proposes a solution different from any previously offered. He suggests that instead of focusing on 2nd-order mental faculties, or 'thoughts about thoughts', we need to look at the raw sensations themselves which are central to all conscious states. He takes the reader on an exhilarating journey thru little-known areas of biology, psychology & philosophy, to discover the origins of all forms of self-awareness in the primitive pain/pleasure responses of our distant ancestors.

Packed with psychological information & ingenious speculation, A History of the Mind not only recasts the debate about the nature of conscious experience but provides fascinating insights into many other topics along the way. Already a classic, this book is as informatively entertaining as it's profound.--Back cover (edited)