Consciousness and human identity

the long version

This book, drawing together leading figures from the spheres of science and philosophy, is about the prospects of finding a scientific explanation of consciousness. And it is also about how our view of ourselves could be affected by such a scientific explanation. Until recently, the vast complexity of the brain had kept researchers from tackling the thorny topic of consciousness. But now, new imaging techniques are revealing many of the brain's mysteries to neuroscientists, while some researchers in the field of artificial intelligence believe they will be able to replicate consciousness with silicon and circuitry. Meanwhile, philosophers continue to take issue with the methodology used by science to investigate this phenomenon, questioning whether a reductionist approach can really solve such an elusive and holistic relationship as that between mind and brain.