Freedom and Neurobiology

Reflections on Free Will, Language, and Political Power

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Medical, Specialties, Internal Medicine, Neuroscience, Science & Nature, Science, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Freedom and Neurobiology by John Searle, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Searle ISBN: 9780231510554
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: November 7, 2006
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: John Searle
ISBN: 9780231510554
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: November 7, 2006
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Our self-conception derives mostly from our own experience. We believe ourselves to be conscious, rational, social, ethical, language-using, political agents who possess free will. Yet we know we exist in a universe that consists of mindless, meaningless, unfree, nonrational, brute physical particles. How can we resolve the conflict between these two visions?

In Freedom and Neurobiology, the philosopher John Searle discusses the possibility of free will within the context of contemporary neurobiology. He begins by explaining the relationship between human reality and the more fundamental reality as described by physics and chemistry. Then he proposes a neurobiological resolution to the problem by demonstrating how various conceptions of free will have different consequences for the neurobiology of consciousness.

In the second half of the book, Searle applies his theory of social reality to the problem of political power, explaining the role of language in the formation of our political reality. The institutional structures that organize, empower, and regulate our lives-money, property, marriage, government-consist in the assignment and collective acceptance of certain statuses to objects and people. Whether it is the president of the United States, a twenty-dollar bill, or private property, these entities perform functions as determined by their status in our institutional reality. Searle focuses on the political powers that exist within these systems of status functions and the way in which language constitutes them.

Searle argues that consciousness and rationality are crucial to our existence and that they are the result of the biological evolution of our species. He addresses the problem of free will within the context of a neurobiological conception of consciousness and rationality, and he addresses the problem of political power within the context of this analysis.

A clear and concise contribution to the free-will debate and the study of cognition, Freedom and Neurobiology is essential reading for students and scholars of the philosophy of mind.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Our self-conception derives mostly from our own experience. We believe ourselves to be conscious, rational, social, ethical, language-using, political agents who possess free will. Yet we know we exist in a universe that consists of mindless, meaningless, unfree, nonrational, brute physical particles. How can we resolve the conflict between these two visions?

In Freedom and Neurobiology, the philosopher John Searle discusses the possibility of free will within the context of contemporary neurobiology. He begins by explaining the relationship between human reality and the more fundamental reality as described by physics and chemistry. Then he proposes a neurobiological resolution to the problem by demonstrating how various conceptions of free will have different consequences for the neurobiology of consciousness.

In the second half of the book, Searle applies his theory of social reality to the problem of political power, explaining the role of language in the formation of our political reality. The institutional structures that organize, empower, and regulate our lives-money, property, marriage, government-consist in the assignment and collective acceptance of certain statuses to objects and people. Whether it is the president of the United States, a twenty-dollar bill, or private property, these entities perform functions as determined by their status in our institutional reality. Searle focuses on the political powers that exist within these systems of status functions and the way in which language constitutes them.

Searle argues that consciousness and rationality are crucial to our existence and that they are the result of the biological evolution of our species. He addresses the problem of free will within the context of a neurobiological conception of consciousness and rationality, and he addresses the problem of political power within the context of this analysis.

A clear and concise contribution to the free-will debate and the study of cognition, Freedom and Neurobiology is essential reading for students and scholars of the philosophy of mind.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Hitchcock's Romantic Irony by John Searle
Cover of the book Conflict, Conquest, and Conversion by John Searle
Cover of the book In Their Voices by John Searle
Cover of the book When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green? by John Searle
Cover of the book Tamil Oratory and the Dravidian Aesthetic by John Searle
Cover of the book Teen Movies by John Searle
Cover of the book Advocating for Children in Foster and Kinship Care by John Searle
Cover of the book Evolution by John Searle
Cover of the book Italian Neorealism by John Searle
Cover of the book Covering Globalization by John Searle
Cover of the book Radical Political Theology by John Searle
Cover of the book Fourteen Little Red Huts and Other Plays by John Searle
Cover of the book The Making of Salafism by John Searle
Cover of the book The War of the Soups and the Sparks by John Searle
Cover of the book The Winemaker's Hand by John Searle
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy