Routledge Handbook of Consciousness (eBook)

There has been an explosion of work on consciousness in the last 30-40 years from philosophers, psychologists, and neurologists. Thus, there is a need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive volume in the field that brings together contributions from a wide range of experts on fundamental and cutting-edge topics. The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness fills this need and makes each chapter's importance understandable to students and researchers from a variety of backgrounds. Designed to complement and better explain primary sources, this volume is a valuable "e;first-stop"e; publication for undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in any course on "e;Consciousness,"e; "e;Philosophy of Mind,"e; or "e;Philosophy of Psychology,"e; as well as a valuable handbook for researchers in these fields who want a useful reference to have close at hand. The 34 chapters, all published here for the first time, are divided into three parts: Part I covers the "e;History and Background Metaphysics"e; of consciousness, such as dualism, materialism, free will, and personal identity, and includes a chapter on Indian philosophy. Part II is on specific "e;Contemporary Theories of Consciousness,"e; with chapters on representational, information integration, global workspace, attention-based, and quantum theories. Part III is entitled "e;Major Topics in Consciousness Research,"e; with chapters on psychopathologies, dreaming, meditation, time, action, emotion, multisensory experience, animal and robot consciousness, and the unity of consciousness. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and concludes with a list of "e;Related Topics,"e; as well as a list of "e;References,"e; making the volume indispensable for the newcomer and experienced researcher alike.