Consciousness Dialogues

Over a period of many years, the celebrated English novelist Tim Parks and the Italian philosopher Riccardo Manzotti have been discussing the nature of consciousness. Not long ago, Parks suggested to his friend that they condense their exchanges “into a series of focused dialogues to set out the standard positions on consciousness, and suggest some alternatives.” Fifteen of the resultant conversations were edited by Parks and published in The New York Review of Books online—one of its most popular features ever. Now collected into one slim but thought-provoking volume, the dialogues reveal the profound scholarship of the two men. Their talks touch upon Aristotle and William James, the Higgs boson and Descartes, and include topics such as “Where Are Words?”, “The Body and Us”, “The Reality of Dreams”, “The Object of Consciousness”, and finally “Consciousness: What Is It?”. For those of us searching for insight into some of life’s most basic puzzles—how do we think? how do we perceive one another, and ourselves?—Dialogues on Consciousness will take its place alongside other classics of philosophy.

Peter Ralston responds to 150 questions about consciousness from a global spectrum of people striving to grasp the nature of their own selves This illuminating collection of 150 questions and responses between Peter Ralston and a global spectrum of seekers provides a rare and nuanced look at the nature of consciousness and the path to understanding our true selves. Ralston is the author of the groundbreaking trilogy on the existential foundations of the human condition—The Book of Not Knowing, Pursuing Consciousness, and The Genius of Being. Here he has selected inquiries from more than two decades of question-and-answer exchanges with students as they work their way through his communications. The mosaic of viewpoints from an astonishing diversity of real people at all levels of consciousness work yields a narrative that is intricate, wide-ranging, intimate, and emotionally honest. These dialogues expand our understanding of consciousness, test our assumptions, and interrogate the very process of inquiry.

John Perry revisits the cast of characters of his classic A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality in this absorbing dialogue on consciousness. Cartesian dualism, property dualism, materialism, the problem of other minds . . . Gretchen Weirob and her friends tackle these topics and more in a dialogue that exemplifies the subtleties and intricacies of philosophical reflection. Once again, Perry’s ability to use straightforward language to discuss complex issues combines with his mastery of the dialogue form. A Bibliography lists relevant further readings keyed to topics discussed in the dialogue. A helpful Glossary provides a handy reference to terms used in the dialogue and an array of clarifying examples.

This deeply and seriously ambitious book aims to do nothing less than erase the distance between perception and existence. It opens up a thrilling new vista upon the real. —David Shields If only more philosophy books were as original, interesting and readable as this one. A beautifully clear and thought-provoking exposition in the form of a Platonic dialogue. —Iain McGilchrist Plenty of food-for-thought without the existential angst and ennui. —Counterpunch Over a period of many years, the celebrated English novelist Tim Parks and the Italian philosopher Riccardo Manzotti have been discussing the nature of consciousness. Not long ago, Parks suggested to his friend that they condense their exchanges “into a series of focused dialogues to set out the standard positions on consciousness, and suggest some alternatives.” Fifteen of the resultant conversations were edited by Parks and published in The New York Review of Books online—one of its most popular features ever. Now collected into one slim but thought-provoking volume, the dialogues reveal the profound scholarship of the two men. Their talks touch upon Aristotle and William James, the Higgs boson and Descartes, and include topics such as “Where Are Words?”, “The Body and Us”, “The Reality of Dreams”, “The Object of Consciousness”, and finally “Consciousness: What Is It?”. For those of us searching for insight into some of life’s most basic puzzles—how do we think? how do we perceive one another, and ourselves?—Dialogues on Consciousness will take its place alongside other classics of philosophy.

An Italian philosopher, psychologist and robotics engineer, Manzotti presents an alternative and ecological hypothesis about how consciousness exists in the real world.

Written as a Socratic dialogue between a lecturer and a student, this text presents, in a non-technical style, some elements for an operational description of reality.Following a brief introductory discussion about the main characterizing ingredients of a scientific approach to reality, the reader is introduced to a number of important, but unexpectedly puzzling, concepts, which are at the roots of our scientific language.More specifically, using a number of simple examples, the dialogue explores the meaning of concepts such as: experimental test, property, attribute, actuality and potentiality, entity, state, certainty, identity, evolution, classical and quantum probabilities, energy, space and non-locality, separation, existence, possibility, personal reality and personal experience, creation and discovery, time, change and permanence, structure and complexity, distinction and connection, and many others as well.

AS WE ENTER THE 21ST CENTURY faced with current global and human crises, society is being questioned as never before. In The Consciousness Revolution three pioneers at the cutting-edge of Western thought reflect on the chances of peace in the world, on how society is changing, and on the changes we can make in ourselves. They consider the roles of art, science, education, goals and values, world views, religion, spirituality and, above all, consciousness -- for the state of our consciousness is the key issue underlying almost everything else. As Ken Wilber asks in his Foreword, what does it all finally come down to? Peter Russell put it like this: 'Each little bit counts ... we are all part of the same ground-swell. The most important question we need to ask is how can I put my own life in greater alignment with that ground-swell? How can I do my little one-hundred-thousandth worth to facilitate that shift a bit further? These intense and memorable discussions among three of the finest minds of our time convey a sense of excitement and passion which we can carry forward in our own lives. The Consciousness Revolution is an essential guide to how our map of reality is changing in the midst of the global transformations going on in all parts of the world and in every sphere of life, in us and around us.