The fabric(ation) of consciousness: A neuro-ecological perspective is an open-access book published by AOSIS.
Consciousness’ is central to the quest for being human and for what the world is made of. While there is widespread agreement on the significance of consciousness for clarifying the human condition, there is no agreement on the phenomenon in search of theorising. Although there is no shortage of theories and concepts of consciousness in current consciousness research, the dominant critical analysis of consciousness research in this study, although based on existing analyses, is (as far as I can see) new and unique in arguing for a crisis in consciousness research.
This book touches on most aspects of consciousness research (the hard problem of conscious-ness, neural correlates of consciousness, brain models and consciousness, consciousness and dualistic thinking, etc.) but is a critical analysis of consciousness research. It is not an insider but a third-person perspective on current consciousness research. In this regard, it is different from most introductions and overviews where these topics are presented from a first-person perspective (the insiders’ claim about their research). Representing the broad spectrum of consciousness research in terms of the theoretical framework of a neuro-ecological perspective is a new and innovative move.
Copyright (c) 2024 Pieter F Craffert (Author)
Both the breadth of the topic of this book and the depth of its analysis are extraordinary. The copious references in the footnotes alone display Craffert’s mastery of sprawling research. The book’s identification and intricate analysis of a crisis in consciousness studies makes it a legacy work for researchers in the field. Craffert surveys the crowded and confusing landscape of consciousness studies, organises its subdisciplines into clusters, shows how they relate to one another, describes their diverse methodologies, and – this is very important – dissects their assumptions. This book is well-structured, and the writing is admirably clear. The masterful preface invites readers to take the plunge, and the subsequent introduction clearly and elegantly lays out the book’s outline and the rationale for each section. Judging from the book’s content, its audience will be the rapidly expanding ranks of scholars involved in brain science, consciousness research, mind–body problems and the philosophy of mind. In addition, the book will appeal to scholars curious about consciousness studies but who may not be deeply immersed in the field.
Prof. Robert J Miller, Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy, Faculty of
Religious Studies, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, United States of America