TY - GEN T1 - The Natural Problem of Consciousness. T2 - Epistemic Studies ; A1 - Snider, Pietro LA - English PP - Berlin/Boston, GERMANY PB - De Gruyter YR - 2017 UL - https://ebooks.jgu.edu.in/Record/ebsco_acadsubs_ocn991052136 AB - The "Natural Problem of Consciousness" is the problem of understanding why there are presently conscious beings at all. Given a non-reductive naturalist framework taking consciousness as an ontologically subjective biological phenomenon, how can we rationally explain the fact that the actual world has turned out to be one where there are presently living beings that can feel, rather than having developed as a zombie-world in which there would be no conscious experiences of any kind? This book introduces the Natural Problem by relating it to central problems in the philosophy of mind (metaphysical mind-body problem, Hard Problem of consciousness) and emphasizing the distinctive interest of its diachronic dimension. Ranging from philosophy to biology and neuroscience, it offers a thorough analysis aimed at better understanding what could explain why phenomenal consciousness has been preserved throughout evolution by natural selection. This is an original, engaging, and thought provoking philosophical study of a neglected but fundamental question regarding the nature and origin of consciousness. CN - B808.9 .S635 2017eb SN - 3110525577 SN - 9783110525571 SN - 9783110525588 SN - 3110525585 SN - 3110524694 SN - 3110526964 SN - 9783110526967 SN - 9783110524697 KW - Consciousness. KW - Conscience. KW - PHILOSOPHY : Movements : Humanism. KW - Consciousness KW - Evolution. KW - mental causation. KW - mind-body problem. KW - natural selection. KW - phenomenal consciousness. ER -