Neuroscience Philosophy

A compelling investigation into one of our most coveted and cherished ideals, and the efforts of modern science to penetrate the mysterious nature of this timeless virtue. We all recognize wisdom, but defining it is more elusive. In this fascinating journey from philosophy to science, Stephen S. Hall gives us a dramatic history of wisdom, from its sudden emergence in four different locations (Greece, China, Israel, and India) in the fifth century B.C. to its modern manifestations.

The Neuroscience of Learning: How Brain Science and AI Can Elevate Your Learning What if you could learn faster, retain information more effectively, and unlock hidden potential within your mind? In The Neuroscience of Learning, discover the groundbreaking science behind how we learn and the practical applications that can make us all better learners. Blending leading-edge neuroscience with everyday insights, this book offers a transmutative look at how our brains function during learning, the influence of emotions and motivation, and the remarkable ways our brains’ neuroplasticity allows...

What if consciousness does not begin in the brain alone, but in the body’s living contact with the world? Modern science often describes the mind in terms of neurons, computation, information, and representation. But before the mind becomes a theory, before perception becomes data, before the body becomes an object of study, we are already moving through a world of color, touch, distance, gesture, pain, memory, and meaning. In Merleau-Ponty and the Embodied Mind: Perception, Flesh, and the Living World, Clayton Louis Turnage explores one of the most important philosophical challenges to ...

Consciousness is the greatest mystery of the human mind — the constant presence behind every thought, feeling, and perception. Consciousness Explained: Understanding the Philosophy, Science, and Theories of the Mind takes you on a deep and accessible journey into one of the most fascinating topics in philosophy and neuroscience. From ancient debates about the soul to cutting-edge theories of brain function, this book explores the nature of awareness, the mind-body problem, and the profound question of why subjective experience exists at all. Inside, you will discover the major ...

In The Blank Slate, Steven Pinker, one of the world's leading experts on language and the mind, explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings. With characteristic wit, lucidity, and insight, Pinker argues that the dogma that the mind has no innate traits, denies our common humanity and our individual preferences, replaces objective analyses of social problems with feel-good slogans, and distorts our understanding of politics, violence, parenting, and the arts.

Why do we still believe in UFOs, despite repeated efforts to dismiss them? For most of the twentieth century, reports of unidentified flying objects were treated as cultural error: cranks, hoaxes, late-night radio. Then, abruptly, the posture changed. The Pentagon released videos it could not...

One of our greatest philosophers and scientists of the mind examines where the self comes from – and how our selves can exist in the minds of others. “I Am a Strange Loop is a work of rigorous thinking, but it’s also an extraordinary tribute to the memory of romantic love: The Year of...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A practical, heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person and fostering deeper connections at home, at work, and throughout our lives—from the author of The Road to Character and The Second Mountain As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill...

A New York Times Bestseller! For millennia, Buddhists have enjoyed the limitless benefits of meditation. But how does it work? And why? The principles behind this ancient practice have long eluded some of the best minds in modern science. Until now. In this groundbreaking work, world-renowned...

From a leading philosopher of the mind comes this lucid, provocative argument that offers a radically new picture of human consciousness--panpsychism Understanding how brains produce consciousness is one of the great scientific challenges of our age. Some philosophers argue that consciousness is...

The one thing we know from the inside — and the one thing science has yet to explain. You are conscious right now. There is light reaching your eyes, words forming meaning, perhaps a faint sound in the room. Why should any of that be felt? Why is the firing of neurons accompanied by experience at all? What It Is Like is a complete, rigorous, and readable map of the debate — written for students, researchers, and serious general readers, and assuming no prior background. The book covers: The problem itself — what "consciousness" actually means, the hard problem, and the philosophical ...

Gifted: Blessing or Curse? is a groundbreaking exploration of giftedness, intelligence, creativity, neurodiversity, and the hidden psychological realities of living with an exceptional mind. Combining personal experience with cutting-edge scientific research, this book examines the emotional, social, educational, and neurological dimensions of gifted individuals across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Inside, readers will discover: • What giftedness really is—and what it is not • The different levels of giftedness, from mildly gifted to profoundly gifted • The science of ...

New York Times bestselling author Sam Harris’s first book, The End of Faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. In the aftermath, Harris discovered that most people—from religious fundamentalists to non-believing scientists—agree on one point: science has nothing to...

As a neuroscientist, Marjorie Woollacott had no doubts that the brain was a purely physical entity controlled by chemicals and electrical pulses. When she experimented with meditation for the first time, however, her entire world changed. Woollacott's journey through years of meditation has made her question the reality she built her career upon and has forced her to ask what human consciousness really is.

Science Concepts Explained for Non-Scientists: Clear Guides to How the World Works Neuroscience Explained for Non-Scientists: How the Brain Creates Thought, Emotion, and Conscious Experience is a clear, concept driven guide to one of the most fascinating and complex areas of modern science. Written specifically for readers without a scientific background, this book breaks down how the brain works using plain language, logical structure, and real world relevance. Instead of overwhelming readers with technical jargon, it focuses on understanding the big ideas that explain how billions of ...

An interdisciplinary deep dive into Buddhist jhāna meditation and how it can transform our understanding of self and consciousness.

A major work of interdisciplinary nonfiction that redefines how we understand life, agency, and intelligence What does it mean to be alive? The slow contortion of a plant toward light, the dive of hawks toward their prey—these are purposeful actions. But where does that purpose come from, and...

From the coauthor of Algorithms to Live By, an exploration of the quest to use mathematics to describe the ways we think, from its origins three hundred years ago to the ideas behind modern AI systems and the ways in which they still differ from human minds Everyone has a basic understanding of...

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise, based on the popular blog of the same name. Whether you’re deciding which smartphone to purchase or which politician to believe, you think you are a rational being whose every decision is based on cool, detached logic...

What if everything you thought you knew about yourself was an illusion? For more than twenty years, University of Chicago professor J. Eric Oliver has taught a legendary course—The Intelligible Self—that students routinely describe as life–changing. Now, in How to Know Your Self, he brings...