The Conscious Mind

What Hacker News says

1. pfkurtzFeb 2022
   Well before I started learning to program, I was carefully reading David Chalmers' early magnum opus The Conscious Mind. I still find myself convinced by the argument: consciousness is a basic ontological feature of reality, the part of reality that constitutes my existence.

   I am horrified that we're taking that Cartesian insight to mean we should actually put our consciousnesses inside little boxes that simulate the rest of the grand mystery of reality—because what's the difference if the lie is good enough?

   It makes this atheist want to go out into nature and find the Goddess.

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2. mistidoiMar 2018
   Pretty wild to me that David Chalmers' The Conscious Mind isn't included on this list.
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3. manicbovineApr 2013
   Have you read any of David Chalmers' work? He attempts to provide a framework for thinking analytically about qualia in "The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory." [1]

   Nearly all of his papers are accessible via his website. [2]

   [1] http://consc.net/books/tcm/

   [2] http://consc.net/papers.html

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4. ionfishJul 2010
   Most of the "eye-opening or incredibly interesting" philosophical material that I've read has been in individual articles rather than books. That said, here are a few favourites from various areas. It's a bit heavily weighted towards recent material; Kant and Plato ought to be on there, but I can't stand Kant as a writer, even if his ideas are profound, and Plato's style has always irritated me for some reason I can't quite put my finger on. I could probably keep tying titles all day, so I'll stop with those that first popped into my head.

   Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

   David Chalmers, The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory

   Gottlob Frege, Die Grundlagen der Arithmetik

   Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

   David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

   J.S. Mill, On Liberty

   John Rawls, A Theory of Justice

   Stewart Shapiro, Philosophy of Mathematics: Structure and Ontology

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5. LPTSApr 2008
   My favorite fiction books are collections of short stories by Thomas Ligotti.

   My favorite non-fiction books are books about consciousness studies and related issues. Favorites include Hofsteder's I Am A Strage Loop and David Chalmers The Conscious Mind. Oliver Sacks Musicaphilia is another recent favorite.

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6. redbianchiJun 2023
   A Conversation with best-selling tech author Steven Johnson, cognitive scientist David Chalmers, AI investor John Borthwick and Next Big Idea podcast host Rufus Griscom.

   The two hottest topics in tech right now are the rise of generative AI, and the mainstreaming of Augmented Reality with Apple’s recent push into “spatial computing.” Will silicon-based machines develop sentience? Will human experience extend into virtual worlds? These distinct technologies may eventually blend to spawn a surprising future -- as our “real” world becomes digitally enhanced, our mindless machines are showing signs of human-like behavior.

   Join us for a provocative discussion with some big (human) thinkers, including philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers (The Conscious Mind, Reality +), best-selling science writer Steven Johnson (Extra Life, Where Good Ideas Come from, How We Got to Now) and Betaworks founder and CEO John Borthwick. Moderated by Next Big Idea co-founder and CEO Rufus Griscom.

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