Cognition, Computation, and Consciousness

by Masao Ito, Yasushi Miyashita, Edmund Rolls

Overview

The topic of consciousness is truly multidisciplinary, attracting researchers and theorists from diverse backgrounds. It is now widely accepted that previously disparate areas all have contributions to make to the understanding of the nature of consciousness. Thus, we now have computational scientists, neuroscientists, and philosophers all engaged in the same effort. This book illustrates these three approaches, with chapters provided by some of the most important and provocative figures in the field. The first section is concerned with philosophical approaches to consciousness. One of the fundamental issues here is that of subjective feeling or qualia. The second section focuses on approaches from cognitive neuroscience. Patients with different types of neurological problems, and new imaging techniques, provide rich sources of data for studying how consciousness relates to brain function. The third section includes computational approaches looking at the quantitative relationship between brain processes and conscious experience. Cognition, Computation, and Consciousness represents a uniquely integrated and current account of this most fascinating and intractable subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198524144
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	05/28/1997
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	1450L (what's this?)

About the Author

RIKEN Institute of Physical & Chemical Research

University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo

Oxford University

Table of Contents

I. Philosophical Approaches
1. Introduction to Philosophical Approaches to Consciousness, O. Flanagan
2. Consciousness in Human and Robot Mind, D. Dennett
3. Consciousness and the Mind-Body Problem, J. Murata
II. Approaches From Cognitive Neuroscience
4. Why Can't I Control My Brain?: Aspects of Conscious Experience, M. Gazzaniga
5. Brain Mechanisms of Vision, Memory, and Consciousness, E. Rolls
6. Single Neurons, Communal Goals, and Consciousness, H. Barlow
7. The Development of Automaticity—From Consciousness to Nonconscious Information Processing in the Human Brain, M. Raichle
8. Neuronal Origin of Visual Imagery, Y. Miyashita
9. Awareness of Memory Deficit, H. Tanabe
10. Body Awareness and its Disorders, A. Yamadori
11. Language, Modality, and the Brain, U. Bellugi and E. Klima
III. Computational Approaches
12. The Coherence Definition of Consciousness, C. von der Malsburg
13. Neurodynamics and Brain Mechanisms, J. Cowan
14. Bi-Directional Theory Approach to Consciousness, M. Kawato
15. The Computational Role of Conscious Processing in a Model of Semantic Theory, R. Grotto and M. Virasoro

Editorial Reviews

Offers a three-pronged approach to consciousness with 16 studies from philosophical, neuroscience, and computer science perspectives, updated from contributions to a 1994 symposium in Kyoto, Japan. The topics include consciousness in human and robot minds, sleep and dreams, from reflective to reflexive information processing in the human brain, body awareness and its disorders, neurodynamics and brain mechanisms, and a bi-directional theory approach. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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