Reality: A Very Short Introduction
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'What is real?' has been one of the key questions of philosophy since its beginning in antiquity. It is a question that, due to such films as The Matrix, has also made its way into popular culture. But it is not just a question philosophers ask. It is also asked by scientists when they investigate whether the fundamental constituents of matter are actually 'out there' or just a mere abstraction from a successful theory. Cognitive scientists ask it when trying to find out which set of the bewildering array of data processed by our brain could constitute the basis for such supposedly fundamental entities like the free agent or the self. This Very Short Introduction discusses what reality is by looking at a variety of arguments, theories and thought-experiments from philosophy, physics, and cognitive science.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Oftentimes the simplest ideas and concepts are the ones that are hardest to understand. This is certainly true with the concept of "reality." In our everyday lives we take it for granted, and even in most professional and scientific contexts this is an almost entirely unproblematic term. However, when we push against the frontiers of our knowledge, as is the case in many subfields of physics, psychology, and philosophy, we quickly encounter situations where "reality" has to have a very precise technical meaning if we want to understand some of the most fundamental phenomena of the world that we live in. "Reality: A Very Short Introduction" tackles many such exceptionally tricky consideration, and brings the ideas from the forefront of science and philosophy to the general audience.
In relatively few pages, this very short introduction manages to bring forth some of the most enduring problems that have stymied philosophers, scientists, and other thinkers for centuries. The book is divided into four chapters, each of which addresses one aspect of our understanding of reality. The chapters are: 1. Dreams and simulations, 2. Is matter real?, 3. Are persons real?, 4. Is time real? These chapters provide a general overview of the topics that have framed our discussion about reality. The author relies on variety of disciplines for his assertions and findings, but the primary source of ideas about reality come from physics, philosophy, and psychology. In a sense, these disciplines may be though of as representing three aspects of reality that we encounter in all aspects of our lives: psychological, physical, and metaphysical. The weight that we assign to each one of these aspects will probably depend on our own ways that we think of reality, but it is fair to say that all of them play a fundamental and important role.
This book is very well written and all explanations are lucid and clear. However, this is not a book that you can easily wade through. The nature of reality is a complex subject, and the means of analyzing it and the kinds of arguments that this analysis employs require a reasonably high level of intellectual discipline and appreciation for abstract thinking. If you are willing to invest some of it, then after reading this short book you'll come away with a renewed sense of appreciation for the world that we live in at its most fundamental level.
In relatively few pages, this very short introduction manages to bring forth some of the most enduring problems that have stymied philosophers, scientists, and other thinkers for centuries. The book is divided into four chapters, each of which addresses one aspect of our understanding of reality. The chapters are: 1. Dreams and simulations, 2. Is matter real?, 3. Are persons real?, 4. Is time real? These chapters provide a general overview of the topics that have framed our discussion about reality. The author relies on variety of disciplines for his assertions and findings, but the primary source of ideas about reality come from physics, philosophy, and psychology. In a sense, these disciplines may be though of as representing three aspects of reality that we encounter in all aspects of our lives: psychological, physical, and metaphysical. The weight that we assign to each one of these aspects will probably depend on our own ways that we think of reality, but it is fair to say that all of them play a fundamental and important role.
This book is very well written and all explanations are lucid and clear. However, this is not a book that you can easily wade through. The nature of reality is a complex subject, and the means of analyzing it and the kinds of arguments that this analysis employs require a reasonably high level of intellectual discipline and appreciation for abstract thinking. If you are willing to invest some of it, then after reading this short book you'll come away with a renewed sense of appreciation for the world that we live in at its most fundamental level.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a great book! So interesting, written so well - a true page turner! I love when after reading a book I go on-line and buy 3 more on the topic! So inspiring, so stimulating!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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2 reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Keeping it Real
8 Feb 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Oftentimes the simplest ideas and concepts are the ones that are hardest to understand. This is certainly true with the concept of "reality." In our everyday lives we take it for granted, and even in most professional and scientific contexts this is an almost entirely unproblematic term. However, when we push against the frontiers of our knowledge, as is the case in many subfields of physics, psychology, and philosophy, we quickly encounter situations where "reality" has to have a very precise technical meaning if we want to understand some of the most fundamental phenomena of the world that we live in. "Reality: A Very Short Introduction" tackles many such exceptionally tricky consideration, and brings the ideas from the forefront of science and philosophy to the general audience.
In relatively few pages, this very short introduction manages to bring forth some of the most enduring problems that have stymied philosophers, scientists, and other thinkers for centuries. The book is divided into four chapters, each of which addresses one aspect of our understanding of reality. The chapters are: 1. Dreams and simulations, 2. Is matter real?, 3. Are persons real?, 4. Is time real? These chapters provide a general overview of the topics that have framed our discussion about reality. The author relies on variety of disciplines for his assertions and findings, but the primary source of ideas about reality come from physics, philosophy, and psychology. In a sense, these disciplines may be though of as representing three aspects of reality that we encounter in all aspects of our lives: psychological, physical, and metaphysical. The weight that we assign to each one of these aspects will probably depend on our own ways that we think of reality, but it is fair to say that all of them play a fundamental and important role.
This book is very well written and all explanations are lucid and clear. However, this is not a book that you can easily wade through. The nature of reality is a complex subject, and the means of analyzing it and the kinds of arguments that this analysis employs require a reasonably high level of intellectual discipline and appreciation for abstract thinking. If you are willing to invest some of it, then after reading this short book you'll come away with a renewed sense of appreciation for the world that we live in at its most fundamental level.
In relatively few pages, this very short introduction manages to bring forth some of the most enduring problems that have stymied philosophers, scientists, and other thinkers for centuries. The book is divided into four chapters, each of which addresses one aspect of our understanding of reality. The chapters are: 1. Dreams and simulations, 2. Is matter real?, 3. Are persons real?, 4. Is time real? These chapters provide a general overview of the topics that have framed our discussion about reality. The author relies on variety of disciplines for his assertions and findings, but the primary source of ideas about reality come from physics, philosophy, and psychology. In a sense, these disciplines may be though of as representing three aspects of reality that we encounter in all aspects of our lives: psychological, physical, and metaphysical. The weight that we assign to each one of these aspects will probably depend on our own ways that we think of reality, but it is fair to say that all of them play a fundamental and important role.
This book is very well written and all explanations are lucid and clear. However, this is not a book that you can easily wade through. The nature of reality is a complex subject, and the means of analyzing it and the kinds of arguments that this analysis employs require a reasonably high level of intellectual discipline and appreciation for abstract thinking. If you are willing to invest some of it, then after reading this short book you'll come away with a renewed sense of appreciation for the world that we live in at its most fundamental level.
Good Read!
10 April 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book explores the fascinating question of reality about material objects around us, person and the self as well as time. Real is what appears to most people most of the time. By this commonly accepted definition, matter, person and the self are real. However, they actually are not real according to the 'apocalyptic' and 'turtle' definitions of reality.
The key function of time, to describe change, can still be carried out without any reference to time (simply by relating repeating physical processes directly to each other). Therefore, time can be considered as a psychological artefact and it may not be real according to the apocalyptic definition (real is what is there anyway without us). It is also doubtful that time is real according to the turtle definition (real is a fundamental and irreducible feature of the world).
By the way, it is interesting to note that we do not ever seem to experience the 'present' moment as processing of neural information takes time. Once we are conscious of this information, the moment that gave rise to it and everything that happened during that moment, has already passed. There is also no guarantee that the order in which we perceive events actually corresponds to the order of their occurrence!
The key function of time, to describe change, can still be carried out without any reference to time (simply by relating repeating physical processes directly to each other). Therefore, time can be considered as a psychological artefact and it may not be real according to the apocalyptic definition (real is what is there anyway without us). It is also doubtful that time is real according to the turtle definition (real is a fundamental and irreducible feature of the world).
By the way, it is interesting to note that we do not ever seem to experience the 'present' moment as processing of neural information takes time. Once we are conscious of this information, the moment that gave rise to it and everything that happened during that moment, has already passed. There is also no guarantee that the order in which we perceive events actually corresponds to the order of their occurrence!
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