Twelve Examples of Illusion - Jan Westerhoff

Twelve Examples of Illusion

(Autor)

Buch | Hardcover
208 Seiten
2010
Oxford University Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-19-538735-3 (ISBN)
54,85 inkl. MwSt
The book is a popular discussion of different kinds of illusion from the perspectives of philosophy, cognitive science, and Buddhist thought. The book discusses examples of illusion (magical tricks, dreams, rainbows, reflections in a mirror) by following a famous Tibetan list of `twelve examples of illusion' from an 18th-century Buddhist encyclopedia.
Tibetan Buddhist writings frequently state that many of the things we perceive in the world are in fact illusory, as illusory as echoes or mirages. In Twelve Examples of Illusion, Jan Westerhoff offers an engaging look at a dozen illusions--including magic tricks, dreams, rainbows, and reflections in a mirror--showing how these phenomena can give us insight into reality. For instance, he offers a fascinating discussion of optical illusions, such as the wheel of fire (the "wheel" seen when a torch is swung rapidly in a circle), discussing Tibetan explanations of this phenomenon as well as the findings of modern psychology, and significantly clarifying the idea that most phenomena--from chairs to trees--are similar illusions. The book uses a variety of crystal-clear examples drawn from a wide variety of fields, including contemporary philosophy and cognitive science, as well as the history of science, optics, artificial intelligence, geometry, economics, and literary theory. Throughout, Westerhoff makes both Buddhist philosophical ideas and the latest theories of mind and brain come alive for the general reader.

Jan Westerhoff is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Durham.

INTRODUCTION; REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Zusatzinfo 123 color illustrations
Verlagsort New York
Sprache englisch
Maße 239 x 163 mm
Gewicht 578 g
Themenwelt Geisteswissenschaften Religion / Theologie Buddhismus
ISBN-10 0-19-538735-X / 019538735X
ISBN-13 978-0-19-538735-3 / 9780195387353
Zustand Neuware
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