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books tagged “cognition”
books tagged “cognition”
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Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Livingby Francisco J. Varela, Humberto R. MaturanaISBN 9027710163 (90-277-1016-3)
Softcover, D Reidel Pub Co
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living'Book summary:What makes a living system a living system? What kind of biological phenomenon is the phenomenon of cognition? These two questions have been frequently considered, but, in this volume, the authors consider them as concrete biological questions. Their analysis is bold and provocative, for the authors have constructed a systematic theoretical biology which attempts to define living systems not as objects of observation and description, nor even as interacting systems, but as self-contained unities whose only reference is to themselves. The consequence of their investigations and of their living systems as self-making, self-referring autonomous unities, is that they discovered that the two questions have a common answer: living systems are cognitive systems, and living as a process is a process of cognition. The result of their investigations is a completely new perspective of biological (human) phenomena. During the investigations, it was found that a complete linguistic description pertaining to the organization of the living was lacking and, in fact, was hampering the reporting of results. Hence, the authors have coined the word autopoiesis to replace the expression circular organization. Autopoiesis conveys, by itself, the central feature of the organization of the living, which is autonomy. [via]
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The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Natureby Steven PinkerISBN 0142003344 (0-14-200334-4)
Softcover, Penguin Group USA
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature'Book summary:Our conceptions of human nature affect everything aspect of our lives, from child-rearing to politics to morality to the arts. Yet many fear that scientific discoveries about innate patterns of thinking and feeling may be used to justify inequality, to subvert social change, and to dissolve personal responsibility.
In The Blank Slate, Steven Pinker explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings. He shows how many intellectuals have denied the existence of human nature and instead have embraced three dogmas: The Blank Slate (the mind has no innate traits), The Noble Savage (people are born good and corrupted by society), and The Ghost in the Machine (each of us has a soul that makes choices free from biology). Each dogma carries a moral burden, so their defenders have engaged in desperate tactics to discredit the scientists who are now challenging them.
Pinker provides calm in the stormy debate by disentangling the political and moral issues from the scientific ones. He shows that equality, compassion, responsibility, and purpose have nothing to fear from discoveries about an innately organized psyche. Pinker shows that the new sciences of mind, brain, genes, and evolution, far from being dangerous, are complementing observations about the human condition made by millennia of artists and philosophers. All this is done in the style that earned his previous books many prizes and worldwide acclaim: irreverent wit, lucid exposition, and startling insight on matters great and small. [via]More editions of The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature:
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Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinkingby Malcolm GladwellISBN 0316010669 (0-316-01066-9)
Softcover, Little Brown & Co
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking'Book summary:Blink is about the first two seconds of looking--the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of "thin slices" of behavior. The key is to rely on our "adaptive unconscious"--a 24/7 mental valet--that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea.
Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us "mind blind," focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to "the Warren Harding Effect" (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the "dark side of blink," he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making. In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell's ideas about what Blink Camp might look like. --Barbara Mackoff [via]
More editions of Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking:
- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking: ISBN 0316011789 (0-316-01178-9)
Hardcover, Little Brown & Company - Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking: ISBN 0316172324 (0-316-17232-4)
Hardcover, Little Brown & Company - Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking: ISBN 0316010669 (0-316-01066-9)
Softcover, Little Brown & Co
- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking: ISBN 0316011789 (0-316-01178-9)
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Cognition in the Wildby Edwin HutchinsISBN 0262581469 (0-262-58146-9)
Softcover, Mit Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cognition in the Wild'Book summary:Edwin Hutchins combines his background as an anthropologist and an open ocean racing sailor and navigator in this account of how anthropological methods can be combined with cognitive theory to produce a new reading of cognitive science. His theoretical insights are grounded in an extended analysis of ship navigation - its computational basis, its historical roots, its social organization, and the details of its implementation in actual practice aboard large ships. The result is an unusual interdisciplinary approach to cognition in culturally constituted activities outside the laboratory - "in the wild."Hutchins examines a set of phenomena that have fallen in the cracks between the established disciplines of psychology and anthropology, bringing to light a new set of relationships between culture and cognition. The standard view is that culture affects the cognition of individuals. Hutchins argues instead that cultural activity systems have cognitive properties of their own that are different from the cognitive properties of the individuals who participate in them. Each action for bringing a large naval vessel into port, for example, is informed by culture: the navigation team can be seen as a cognitive and computational system.Introducing Navy life and work on the bridge, Hutchins makes a clear distinction between the cognitive properties of an individual and the cognitive properties of a system. In striking contrast to the usual laboratory tasks of research in cognitive science, he applies the principal metaphor of cognitive science - cognition as computation (adopting David Marr's paradigm) - to the navigation task. After comparing modern Western navigation with the method practiced in Micronesia, Hutchins explores the computational and cognitive properties of systems that are larger than an individual. He then turns to an analysis of learning or change in the organization of cognitive systems at several scales.Hutchins's conclusion illustrates the costs of ignoring the cultural nature of cognition, pointing to the ways in which contemporary cognitive science can be transformed by new meanings and interpretations.A Bradford Book
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Cognitive Psychologyby John R. AndersonISBN 0716723859 (0-7167-2385-9)
Hardcover, W H Freeman & Co
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cognitive Psychology'Book summary:This text provides a fully updated, systematic introduction to the theoretical and experimental foundations of higher mental processes. Avoiding technical jargon, John R. Anderson constructs a coherent picture of human cognition, relating neural functions to mental processes, perception to abstraction, representation to meaning, knowledge to skill, language to thought, and adult cognition to child development. New to this 4th edition are new separate chapters on attention and individual differences. Summaries now follow each section, as well as concluding each chapter. More emphasis has been placed on cognitive psychology, reflecting a burgeoning area of research. [via]
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Cognitive Psychology: A Student's Handbookby Michael W. Eysenck, Mark T. KeaneISBN 1841693596 (1-84169-359-6)
Softcover, Psychology Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cognitive Psychology: A Student's Handbook'Book summary:This fifth edition of the best-selling international cognitive psychology textbook has been substantially updated and restructured to reflect new developments in cognitive psychology, and made more student-friendly.
Established approaches covered in depth include:
- Experimental cognitive psychology
- Cognitive science with its focus on modelling
- Cognitive neuropsychology with its focus on cognition following brain damage.
Extensive new material in this edition includes:
- Cognitive neuroscience approaches such as brain scanning and imaging studies which illustrate the principles of brain function
- New material on consciousness.
Throughout, the new material is fully integrated with more traditional approaches to create a comprehensive, coherent and totally current overview of perception, attention, memory, concepts, language, problem solving, judgement and reasoning.
A two-colour design, plus a rich array of supplementary multimedia materials, make this edition more accessible and entertaining for students.
The multimedia materials include:
- A PowerPoint lecture course and MCQ Test Bank free to qualifying adopters
- A unique web-based Student Learning Program. This is an interactive revision program incorporating a rich array of multimedia resources including interactive exercises and demonstrations, and active reference links to journal articles. This is offered on a subscription basis to departments adopting the text. A free demonstration of a sample chapter is available to potential subscribers at http://www.psypress.com/ek5/ .
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Cognitive Psychology and Its Implicationsby John Robert AndersonISBN 0716711974 (0-7167-1197-4)
Hardcover, W. H. Freeman
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications'Book summary:A presentation of the theoretical foundations of higher mental processes. Addressing both the information processing and cognitive neuroscience approaches to the field, it demonstrates knowledge representation as the central issue around which cognitive psychology is organized. [via]
More editions of Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications:
- Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications: ISBN 0716716860 (0-7167-1686-0)
Hardcover, W.H. Freeman - Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications: ISBN 071672085X (0-7167-2085-X)
Hardcover, W H Freeman & Co - Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications: ISBN 0716711974 (0-7167-1197-4)
Hardcover, W. H. Freeman
- Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications: ISBN 0716716860 (0-7167-1686-0)
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Cognitive Psychology and Its Implicationsby Barry F. Anderson, John AndersonISBN 0716736780 (0-7167-3678-0)
Hardcover, Worth Publishers, Incorporated
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications'Book summary:John Anderson's text offers a systematic and accessible presentation of the theoretical foundations of higher mental processes. Addressing both the information processing and the cognitive neuroscience approaches to the field (with more emphasis on information processing), the book demonstrates knowledge representation as the central issue around which cognitive psychology is organized. The new edition has been thoroughly updated throughout, especially in the area of cognitive neuroscience. [via]
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Cognitive Psychology And Its Implicationsby John R. AndersonISBN 0716701103 (0-7167-0110-3)
Hardcover, Worth Pub
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Cognitive Psychology: The Study of Knowing, Learning, and Thinkingby Barry F. AndersonISBN 0120578506 (0-12-057850-6)
Hardcover, Academic Press
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cognitive Psychology: The Study of Knowing, Learning, and Thinking'More editions of Cognitive Psychology: The Study of Knowing, Learning, and Thinking:
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Consciousness Explainedby Daniel Dennett, Paul WeinerISBN 0316180661 (0-316-18066-1)
Softcover, Little Brown & Co
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Consciousness Explained'Book summary:Consciousness is notoriously difficult to explain. On one hand, there are facts about conscious experience--the way clarinets sound, the way lemonade tastes--that we know subjectively, from the inside. On the other hand, such facts are not readily accommodated in the objective world described by science. How, after all, could the reediness of clarinets or the tartness of lemonade be predicted in advance? Central to Daniel C. Dennett's attempt to resolve this dilemma is the "heterophenomenological" method, which treats reports of introspection nontraditionally--not as evidence to be used in explaining consciousness, but as data to be explained. Using this method, Dennett argues against the myth of the Cartesian theater--the idea that consciousness can be precisely located in space or in time. To replace the Cartesian theater, he introduces his own multiple drafts model of consciousness, in which the mind is a bubbling congeries of unsupervised parallel processing. Finally, Dennett tackles the conventional philosophical questions about consciousness, taking issue not only with the traditional answers but also with the traditional methodology by which they were reached.
Dennett's writing, while always serious, is never solemn; who would have thought that combining philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience could be such fun? Not every reader will be convinced that Dennett has succeeded in explaining consciousness; many will feel that his account fails to capture essential features of conscious experience. But none will want to deny that the attempt was well worth making. --Glenn Branch [via]
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Cosmic Trigger: Final Secret of the Illuminatiby Robert A. WilsonISBN 1561840114 (1-56184-011-4)
Softcover, New Falcon Pubns
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cosmic Trigger: Final Secret of the Illuminati'Book summary:While this, the second volume of the Cosmic Trigger trilogy, continues along the path set by the original Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati, it also stands solidly on its own. Any reader with an open mind and a sense of humor cannot help but be entertained and enlightened while following Wilson's explorations into such subjects as the future of cyberspace; the peculiarities of Irish jurisprudence; links among the Mafia, the CIA and the Catholic Church; anal-eroticism in The White House; the Dog Castrator of Palm Springs; and many more observations from his infinitely fertile brain. [via]
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Cosmic Trigger II: Down to Earthby Robert Anton WilsonISBN 1561840211 (1-56184-021-1)
Hardcover, New Falcon Pubns
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Critique of Pure Reasonby Kant, Eric Watkins, Werner S. PluharISBN 0872204480 (0-87220-448-0)
Softcover, Hackett Pub Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Critique of Pure Reason'Book summary:Metaphysicians have for centuries attempted to clarify the nature of the world and how rational human beings construct their ideas of it. Materialists believed that the world (including its human component) consisted of objective matter, an irreducible substance to which qualities and characteristics could be attributed. Mindthoughts, ideas, and perceptionswas viewed as a more sophisticated material substance. Idealists, on the other hand, argued that the world acquired its reality from mind, which breathed metaphysical life into substances that had no independent existence of their own.
These two camps seemed deadlocked until Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason endeavored to show that the most accurate theory of reality would be one that combined relevant aspects of each position, yet transcended both to arrive at a more fundamental metaphysical theory. Kant's synthesis sought to disclose how human reason goes about constructing its experience of the world, thus intertwining objective simuli with rational processes that arrive at an orderly view of nature. [via]More editions of Critique of Pure Reason:
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Critique of Pure Reasonby Norman Kemp Smith, KantISBN 1403911959 (1-4039-1195-9)
Softcover, Palgrave Macmillan
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Critique of Pure Reason'Book summary:Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is one of the most rewarding and difficult of all philosophical works. Norman Kemp Smith's translation is immensely valuable, not simply because he rendered Kant's language into readable English, but also because his own extensive understanding of the Critique made him acutely aware of the pitfalls of translation. This text is that of the second edition of 1787, with an additional translation of all first edition passages which in the second edition were either altered or omitted. For this reissue of Norman Kemp Smith's classic 1929 edition, Howard Caygill has contributed a new Preface, setting this translation into the context both of Kemp Smith's own life and work, and of his influence on Kant scholarship.[via]More editions of Critique of Pure Reason:
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Critique of Pure Reasonby Werner S. Pluhar, Kant, Patricia W. KitcherISBN 0872202577 (0-87220-257-7)
Softcover, Hackett Pub Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Critique of Pure Reason'Book summary:Like Werner Pluhar's distinguished translation of "Critique of Judgment" (Hackett Publishing Co., 1987), this new rendering of "Critique of Pure Reason" reflects the elegant achievement of a master translator. This richly annotated volume offers translations of the complete texts of both the first and second editions, as well as Kant's own notes. Extensive editorial notes by Werner Pluhar and James Ellington supply explanatory and terminological comments, translations of Latin and other foreign expressions, variant readings, cross-references to other passages in the text and in other writings of Kant, and references to secondary works. An extensive bibliography, glossary, and detailed index are included. Patricia Kitcher's illuminating Introduction provides a roadmap to Kant's abstract and complex argumentation by firmly locating his view in the context of eighteenth-century - and current - attempts to understand the nature of the thinking mind and its ability to comprehend the physical universe. [via]
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The Design of Everyday Thingsby Donald A. NormanISBN 0262640376 (0-262-64037-6)
Softcover, Mit Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Design of Everyday Things'Book summary:Anyone who designs anything to be used by humans--from physical objects to computer programs to conceptual tools--must read this book, and it is an equally tremendous read for anyone who has to use anything created by another human. It could forever change how you experience and interact with your physical surroundings, open your eyes to the perversity of bad design and the desirability of good design, and raise your expectations about how things should be designed. [via]
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The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experienceby Evan Thompson, Eleanor Rosch, Francisco J. VerelaISBN 0262720213 (0-262-72021-3)
Softcover, Mit Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience'Book summary:Although the scientific study of the mind has developed rapidly, it has devoted little attention to human cognition understood as everyday lived experience. "The Embodied Mind" discusses the spontaneous and reflective dimensions of human experience. The authors argue that it is only by having a sense of common ground, between mind in science and mind in experience that our understanding of cognition can be more complete. To create this common ground they develop a dialogue between cognitive science and Buddhist meditative psychology and situate this dialogue in relation to other traditions, such as phenomenology and psychoanalysis. The dialogue proceeds in five parts. The first introduces the two partners and explains how the dialogue will develop. The second presents the computational model of mind that gave rise to cognitive science in its classical form. The authors show how this model implies that the self is fundamentally fragmented and introduce the complementary Buddhist concept of a nonunified, decentralized self. The third shows how cognitive science and Buddhist psychology provide the resources for understanding how the phenomena usually attributed to a self could arise without an actual self. The fourth presents the authors' own view of cognition as embodied action and discusses the relevance of this view for cognitive science and evolutionary theory. The fifth considers the philosophical and experiential implications of the view that cognition has no foundation or ground beyond its history of embodiment and explores these implications in relation to contemporary Western critiques of objectivism and the nonfoundationalist tradition of Buddhist philosophy. [via]
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Emotional Intelligenceby Daniel GolemanISBN 055338371X (0-553-38371-X)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Emotional Intelligence'Book summary:There was a time when IQ was considered the leading determinant of success. In this fascinating book, based on brain and behavioral research, Daniel Goleman argues that our IQ-idolizing view of intelligence is far too narrow. Instead, Goleman makes the case for "emotional intelligence" being the strongest indicator of human success. He defines emotional intelligence in terms of self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, and the ability to love and be loved by friends, partners, and family members. People who possess high emotional intelligence are the people who truly succeed in work as well as play, building flourishing careers and lasting, meaningful relationships. Because emotional intelligence isn't fixed at birth, Goleman outlines how adults as well as parents of young children can sow the seeds. [via]
More editions of Emotional Intelligence:
- Emotional Intelligence: ISBN 055380491X (0-553-80491-X)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group - Emotional Intelligence: ISBN 0553375067 (0-553-37506-7)
Softcover, Bantam Books - Emotional Intelligence: ISBN 055384007X (0-553-84007-X)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group - Emotional Intelligence: ISBN 055338371X (0-553-38371-X)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
- Emotional Intelligence: ISBN 055380491X (0-553-80491-X)
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Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQby Daniel GolemanISBN 1428802363 (1-4288-0236-3)
Softcover, Academic Internet Pub Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ'Book summary:The Western cultures esteem analytical skills measured by IQ tests: but there is clearly more to success and happiness, even in technological societies, than IQ alone. Goleman has written one of the best books on the nature and importance of other kinds of intelligence besides our perhaps overly beloved IQ. Recommended. [via]
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The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physicsby Roger Penrose, Martin GardnerISBN 0192861980 (0-19-286198-0)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics'Book summary:Some love it, some hate it, but The Emperor's New Mind, physicist Roger Penrose's 1989 treatise attacking the foundations of strong artificial intelligence, is crucial for anyone interested in the history of thinking about AI and consciousness. Part survey of modern physics, part exploration of the philosophy of mind, the book is not for casual readers--though it's not overly technical, it rarely pauses to let the reader catch a breath. The overview of relativity and quantum theory, written by a master, is priceless and uncontroversial. The exploration of consciousness and AI, though, is generally considered as resting on shakier ground.
Penrose claims that there is an intimate, perhaps unknowable relation between quantum effects and our thinking, and ultimately derives his anti-AI stance from his proposition that some, if not all, of our thinking is non-algorithmic. Of course, these days we believe that there are other avenues to AI than traditional algorithmic programming; while he has been accused of setting up straw robots to knock down, this accusation is unfair. Little was then known about the power of neural networks and behavior-based robotics to simulate (and, some would say, produce) intelligent problem-solving behavior. Whether these tools will lead to strong AI is ultimately a question of belief, not proof, and The Emperor's New Mind offers powerful arguments useful to believer and nonbeliever alike. --Rob Lightner [via]
More editions of The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics:
- The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics: ISBN 0140145346 (0-14-014534-6)
Softcover, Penguin Group USA - The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics: ISBN 0198519737 (0-19-851973-7)
Hardcover, Oxford Univ Pr - The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics: ISBN 0192861980 (0-19-286198-0)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
- The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics: ISBN 0140145346 (0-14-014534-6)
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Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today's Pop Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarterby Steven JohnsonISBN 1594481946 (1-59448-194-6)
Softcover, Riverhead Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter'Book summary:In his fourth book, Everything Bad Is Good for You, iconoclastic science writer Steven Johnson (who used himself as a test subject for the latest neurological technology in his last book, Mind Wide Open) takes on one of the most widely held preconceptions of the postmodern world--the belief that video games, television shows, and other forms of popular entertainment are detrimental to Americans' cognitive and moral development. Everything Good builds a case to the contrary that is engaging, thorough, and ultimately convincing.
The heart of Johnson's argument is something called the Sleeper Curve--a universe of popular entertainment that trends, intellectually speaking, ever upward, so that today's pop-culture consumer has to do more "cognitive work"--making snap decisions and coming up with long-term strategies in role-playing video games, for example, or mastering new virtual environments on the Internet-- than ever before. Johnson makes a compelling case that even today's least nutritional TV junk foodthe Joe Millionaires and Survivors so commonly derided as evidence of America's cultural decline--is more complex and stimulating, in terms of plot complexity and the amount of external information viewers need to understand them, than the Love Boats and I Love Lucys that preceded it. When it comes to television, even (perhaps especially) crappy television, Johnson argues, "the content is less interesting than the cognitive work the show elicits from your mind."
Johnson's work has been controversial, as befits a writer willing to challenge wisdom so conventional it has ossified into accepted truth. But even the most skeptical readers should be captivated by the intriguing questions Johnson raises, whether or not they choose to accept his answers. --Erica C. Barnett [via]More editions of Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today's Pop Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter:
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The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousnessby Antonio R. DamasioISBN 0156010755 (0-15-601075-5)
Softcover, Harcourt
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness'Book summary:As you read this, at some level you're aware that you're reading, thanks to a standard human feature commonly referred to as consciousness. What is it--a spiritual phenomenon, an evolutionary tool, a neurological side effect? The best scientists love to tackle big, meaningful questions like this, and neuroscientist Antonio Damasio jumps right in with The Feeling of What Happens, a poetic examination of interior life through lenses of research, medical cases, philosophical analysis, and unashamed introspection. Damasio's perspective is, fortunately, becoming increasingly common in the scientific community; despite all the protestations of old-guard behaviorists, subjective consciousness is a plain fact to most of us and the demand for new methods of inquiry is finally being met.
These new methods are not without rigor, though. Damasio and his colleagues examine patients with disruptions and interruptions in consciousness and take deep insights from these tragic lives while offering greater comfort and meaning to the sufferers. His thesis, that our sense of self arises from our need to map relations between self and others, is firmly rooted in medical and evolutionary research but stands up well to self-examination. His examples from the weird world of neurology are unsettling yet deeply humanizing--real people with serious problems spring to life in the pages, but they are never reduced to their deficits. The Feeling of What Happens captures the spirit of discovery as it plunges deeper than ever into the darkest waters yet. --Rob Lightner [via]
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Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thoughtby Douglas HofstadterISBN 0465024750 (0-465-02475-0)
Softcover, Basic Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought'Book summary:Douglas Hofstadter, best known for his masterpiece Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, tackles the subject of artificial intelligence and machine learning in his thought-provoking work Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies, written in conjunction with the Fluid Analogies Research Group at the University of Michigan. Driven to discover whether computers can be made to "think" like humans, Hofstadter and his colleagues created a variety of computer programs that extrapolate sequences, apply pattern-matching strategies, make analogies, and even act "creative." As always, Hofstadter's work requires devotion on the part of the reader, but rewards him with fascinating insights into the nature of both human and machine intelligence. [via]
More editions of Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought:
- Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought: ISBN 0465051545 (0-465-05154-5)
Hardcover, Perseus Books Group - Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought: ISBN 0465024750 (0-465-02475-0)
Softcover, Basic Books
- Fluid Concepts & Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought: ISBN 0465051545 (0-465-05154-5)
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Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braidby Douglas R. HofstadterISBN 0465026567 (0-465-02656-7)
Softcover, Basic Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid'Book summary:As stated in the Scientific American, "Every few decades an unknown author brings out a boof of such depth, clarity range, wit beauty and originality that it is recognized at once as a major literary event - this is such a work." [via]
More editions of Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid:
- Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: ISBN 0394745027 (0-394-74502-7)
Softcover, Vintage Books - Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: ISBN 0394756827 (0-394-75682-7)
Softcover, Knopf Publishing Group - Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: ISBN 0465026850 (0-465-02685-0)
Hardcover, Perseus Books Group - Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: ISBN 0465026567 (0-465-02656-7)
Softcover, Basic Books
- Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid: ISBN 0394745027 (0-394-74502-7)
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Guided Meditation: Creative Visualization for Generating Energy and Managing Stressby Gary Michael Smith, Robert Edward FussellISBN 0965838048 (0-9658380-4-8)
Hardcover, Chatgris Press
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Guided Meditation: Creative Visualization for Generating Energy and Managing Stress'Book summary:1997 W.W Norton & Company jumbo trade paperback, 7th printing. ISBN:9780965838047. Explains why we feel the way we do-control of emotions, thoughts and limbs in the control center also called the brain. [via]
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How the Mind Worksby Steven PinkerISBN 0393318486 (0-393-31848-6)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'How the Mind Works'Book summary:Why do fools fall in love? Why does a man's annual salary, on average, increase $600 with each inch of his height? When a crack dealer guns down a rival, how is he just like Alexander Hamilton, whose face is on the ten-dollar bill? How do optical illusions function as windows on the human soul? Cheerful, cheeky, occasionally outrageous MIT psychologist Steven Pinker answers all of the above and more in his marvelously fun, awesomely informative survey of modern brain science. Pinker argues that Darwin plus canny computer programs are the key to understanding ourselves--but he also throws in apt references to Star Trek, Star Wars, The Far Side, history, literature, W. C. Fields, Mozart, Marilyn Monroe, surrealism, experimental psychology, and Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty and his 888 children. If How the Mind Works were a rock show, tickets would be scalped for $100. This book deserved its spot as Number One on bestseller lists. It belongs on a short shelf alongside such classics as Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life, by Daniel C. Dennett, and The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology, by Robert Wright. Pinker's startling ideas pop out as dramatically as those hidden pictures in a Magic Eye 3D stereogram poster, which he also explains in brilliantly lucid prose. [via]
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Kant and the Platypus: Essays on Language and Cognitionby Umberto Eco, Alastair McEwenISBN 015601159X (0-15-601159-X)
Softcover, Harcourt
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Kant and the Platypus: Essays on Language and Cognition'Book summary:Describing Umberto Eco as a writer is like describing the platypus as an animal. What do readers expect when they see the author's name on a book jacket? It's a tricky question to answer, given his range and versatility: he has produced studies of semiotics, children's books, medieval history, essays on contemporary culture, and, of course, novels--most notably The Name of the Rose and The Island of the Day Before. So first, a word of warning. Anyone familiar with Eco the novelist or essayist might well be dismayed by Kant and the Platypus, for this new book returns to his preoccupations of the 1960s and 1970s--to semiotics and cognitive semantics. As such, it can be a daunting volume (the initial chapter, for example, riffs on the numerous philosophical concepts of being). And second, a word of encouragement: this is a wonderful engagement with the issues of language itself. Even as he beckons the reader into one linguistic thicket after another, Eco always keeps a commonsensical perspective, using stories to explicate the knottiest concepts.
Why did Marco Polo describe the rhinoceros as a type of unicorn? Why couldn't 18th-century observers figure out how to classify the duck-billed platypus? Given a dictionary or encyclopedia definition of a mouse, how easy would it be to identify one if we had never seen one before? These are some of the examples that Eco uses to explore the ways in which we see and describe the world--the ways, that is, in which cultures develop taxonomies. If you want to know "why we can tell an elephant from an armadillo," or why mirrors do not in fact reverse images, this book will tell you. In fact, it will also tell you why you know what I am talking about when I say "this book." Got it? No? Then get it. --Burhan Tufail [via]
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Kritik Der Reinen Vernunftby Immanuel Kant, Jens TimmermannISBN 3787313206 (3-7873-1320-6)
Hardcover, F. Meiner Verlag
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Kritik Der Reinen Vernunft'Book summary:Die Erfolgsgeschichte der modernen Naturwissenschaften vor Augen, wollte Kant auch die Philosophie, insbesondere die Metaphysik auf den sicheren Weg einer Wissenschaft bringen. Das Ergebnis war jedoch die wohl wirkungsvollste und nachhaltigste Zerstörung metaphysischen Denkens in der neuzeitlichen Philosophie.
Kant sprach von einer Kopernikanischen Wende. Sie sollte dadurch herbeigeführt werden, dass die philosophische Erkenntnis sich von den Gegenständen selbst auf die Möglichkeit der Erkenntnis derselben zurückwendet. Kritik der reinen Vernunft bedeutet daher vor allem Selbstprüfung des menschlichen Erkenntnisvermögens hinsichtlich seiner Grenzen und Erkenntnismöglichkeiten. Kants für die moderne Philosophie grundlegende Einsicht war, dass erfahrungsunabhängige, also metaphysische Erkenntnis nur in der Einschränkung auf die formalen Bedingungen möglicher Erfahrung beweisbar und damit alle traditionelle Metaphysik nichts als Scheinwissenschaft ist.
Grundvoraussetzung für dieses Projekt ist die Rückführung aller gültigen Erkenntnis auf die im Subjekt angelegten Bedingungen. So wie Raum und Zeit keine Gegenstände, sondern reine, subjektive Anschauungsformen möglichen Gegebenseins von konkreten empirischen Erscheinungen sind, so sind auch die reinen Verstandesbegriffe bloß formale Bedingungen der Einheit möglicher Objekte. Wir erkennen nie die Dinge an sich selbst, sondern nur die Erscheinungen, das heißt die Gegenstände, wie sie uns durch die formalen Bedingungen unseres Erkenntnisvermögens gegeben sind.
Vor allem Kants idealistische Erben wollten sich mit dieser Einschränkung der Erkenntnis auf die Erscheinungswelt nicht zufrieden geben und gingen daher über Kants kritischen Idealismus hinaus. Statt dessen versucht man in der sprachphilosophisch geläuterten, modernen Erkenntnistheorie (Putnam, McDowell) wieder an Kants Kritizismus Anschluss zu finden. --Jens Kertscher [via]
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The Language Instinctby Steven PinkerISBN 0060976519 (0-06-097651-9)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Language Instinct'Book summary:In The Language Instinct , Steven Pinker, well-known for his revolutionary theory of how children acquire language, lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, how it evolved. With wit, education, and deft use of everyday examples of humor and wordplay, Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web spinning in spiders or sonar in bats. [via]
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The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Languageby Steven PinkerISBN 0060958332 (0-06-095833-2)
Softcover, Perennial
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language'Book summary:In this "extremely valuable book, very informative, and very well written" (Noam Chomsky), one of the greatest thinkers in the field of linguistics explains how language works--how people, ny making noises with their mouths, can cause ideas to arise in other people's minds. [via]
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The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hatby Oliver SacksISBN 1555042651 (1-55504-265-1)
Softcover, Chivers North Amer
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The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Talesby Oliver SacksISBN 0684853949 (0-684-85394-9)
Softcover, Touchstone Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales'Book summary:A major bestseller and already acclaimed as a science classic, this collection of 20 true tales of individuals stricken with astonishing neurological disorders has sold over 70,000 copies. (Pscyhology) [via]
More editions of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales:
- The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales: ISBN 0060970790 (0-06-097079-0)
Softcover, Harpercollins - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales: ISBN 0671554719 (0-671-55471-9)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales: ISBN 0684853949 (0-684-85394-9)
Softcover, Touchstone Books
- The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales: ISBN 0060970790 (0-06-097079-0)
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Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Patternby Douglas R. HofstadterISBN 0465045669 (0-465-04566-9)
Softcover, Perseus Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern'Book summary:An interlocked collection of literary, scientific, and artistic studies. [via]
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- Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern: ISBN 0465045405 (0-465-04540-5)
Hardcover, Perseus Books Group - Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern: ISBN 0553342797 (0-553-34279-7)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group - Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern: ISBN 0553346830 (0-553-34683-0)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group - Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern: ISBN 0465045669 (0-465-04566-9)
Softcover, Perseus Books
- Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern: ISBN 0465045405 (0-465-04540-5)
The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Forceby Jeffrey M. Schwartz, Sharon BegleyISBN 0060988479 (0-06-098847-9)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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The Mind's Iby Hofstadter, Douglas R. & Dennett, Daniel C., Daniel C. DennettISBN 0553345842 (0-553-34584-2)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Mind's I'Book summary:Ever wondered who you are? Who you really are? This collection of writings and reflections by some of today's most notable thinkers is designed to enliven this most central, and most baffling, question in the philosophy of mind. In some ways, the questions posed and bantered about in this book are at the heart of all philosophical reasoning. They are the ultimate questions about the self. The Mind's I contains an astonishing variety of approaches to answering the question, "Who am I?" Between the covers of this book one encounters the literary erudition of Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges alongside the analytic rigor of John Searle. There are sophisticated metaphorical pieces (such as "The Princess Ineffabelle" by Polish philosopher and writer Stanislaw Lem), intriguing dialogues (like Raymond Smullyan's "Is God a Taoist?"), and serious but engaging philosophical essays from a host of thinkers (see Thomas Nagel's "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?").
Editors Hofstadter and Dennett--leading lights in the study of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and the philosophy of mind--follow each selection with a short reflection designed to elaborate on their main themes. The Mind's I admirably broadens their fields to a more general audience. The book's essays are grouped into six categories, each successively raising the philosophical stakes by introducing new levels of complexity. Ultimately, one confronts some of the thorniest questions in modern philosophy here, such as the nature of free will, our place in the metaphysical world, and the possibility of genuine artificial intelligence. The book closes with a playful and perplexing piece by Robert Nozick, an adequate summation to The Mind's I. He writes, "Perhaps God has not decided yet whether he has created, in this world, a fictional world or a real one.... Which decision do you hope for?" --Eric de Place [via]
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The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soulby Daniel C. Dennett, Douglas R. HofstadterISBN 0465030912 (0-465-03091-2)
Softcover, Perseus Books Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul'Book summary:Ever wondered who you are? Who you really are? This collection of writings and reflections by some of today's most notable thinkers is designed to enliven this most central, and most baffling, question in the philosophy of mind. In some ways, the questions posed and bantered about in this book are at the heart of all philosophical reasoning. They are the ultimate questions about the self. The Mind's I contains an astonishing variety of approaches to answering the question, "Who am I?" Between the covers of this book one encounters the literary erudition of Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges alongside the analytic rigor of John Searle. There are sophisticated metaphorical pieces (such as "The Princess Ineffabelle" by Polish philosopher and writer Stanislaw Lem), intriguing dialogues (like Raymond Smullyan's "Is God a Taoist?"), and serious but engaging philosophical essays from a host of thinkers (see Thomas Nagel's "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?").
Editors Hofstadter and Dennett--leading lights in the study of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and the philosophy of mind--follow each selection with a short reflection designed to elaborate on their main themes. The Mind's I admirably broadens their fields to a more general audience. The book's essays are grouped into six categories, each successively raising the philosophical stakes by introducing new levels of complexity. Ultimately, one confronts some of the thorniest questions in modern philosophy here, such as the nature of free will, our place in the metaphysical world, and the possibility of genuine artificial intelligence. The book closes with a playful and perplexing piece by Robert Nozick, an adequate summation to The Mind's I. He writes, "Perhaps God has not decided yet whether he has created, in this world, a fictional world or a real one.... Which decision do you hope for?" --Eric de Place [via]
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The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soulby Douglas R. HofstadterISBN 046504624X (0-465-04624-X)
Hardcover, Perseus Books Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul'Book summary:Ever wondered who you are? Who you really are? This collection of writings and reflections by some of today's most notable thinkers is designed to enliven this most central, and most baffling, question in the philosophy of mind. In some ways, the questions posed and bantered about in this book are at the heart of all philosophical reasoning. They are the ultimate questions about the self. The Mind's I contains an astonishing variety of approaches to answering the question, "Who am I?" Between the covers of this book one encounters the literary erudition of Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges alongside the analytic rigor of John Searle. There are sophisticated metaphorical pieces (such as "The Princess Ineffabelle" by Polish philosopher and writer Stanislaw Lem), intriguing dialogues (like Raymond Smullyan's "Is God a Taoist?"), and serious but engaging philosophical essays from a host of thinkers (see Thomas Nagel's "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?").
Editors Hofstadter and Dennett--leading lights in the study of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and the philosophy of mind--follow each selection with a short reflection designed to elaborate on their main themes. The Mind's I admirably broadens their fields to a more general audience. The book's essays are grouped into six categories, each successively raising the philosophical stakes by introducing new levels of complexity. Ultimately, one confronts some of the thorniest questions in modern philosophy here, such as the nature of free will, our place in the metaphysical world, and the possibility of genuine artificial intelligence. The book closes with a playful and perplexing piece by Robert Nozick, an adequate summation to The Mind's I. He writes, "Perhaps God has not decided yet whether he has created, in this world, a fictional world or a real one.... Which decision do you hope for?" --Eric de Place [via]
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Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing Your Brain's Potentialby Richard RestakISBN 0609810057 (0-609-81005-7)
Softcover, Random House Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing Your Brain's Potential'Book summary:In Mozarts Brain and the Fighter Pilot, eminent neuropsychiatrist and bestselling author Richard Restak, M.D., combines the latest research in neurology and psychology to show us how to get our brain up to speed for managing every aspect of our busy lives.
Everything we think and everything we choose to do alters our brain and fundamentally changes who we are, a process that continues until the end of our lives. Few people think of the brain as being susceptible to change in its actual structure, but in fact we can preselect the kind of brain we will have by continually exposing ourselves to rich and varied life experiences. Unlike other organs that eventually wear out with repeated and sustained use, the brain actually improves the more we challenge it.
Most of us incorporate some kind of physical exercise into our daily lives. We do this to improve our bodies and health and generally make us feel better. Why not do the same for the brain? The more we exercise it, the better it performs and the better we feel. Think of Restak as a personal trainer for your brainhe will help you assess your mental strengths and weaknesses, and his entertaining book will set you to thinking about the world and the people around you in a new light, providing you with improved and varied skills and capabilities. From interacting with colleagues to recognizing your own psychological makeup, from understanding the way you see something to why youre looking at it in the first place, from explaining the cause of panic attacks to warding off performance anxiety, this book will tell you the whys and hows of the brains workings.
Packed with practical advice and fascinating examples drawn from history, literature, and science, Mozarts Brain and the Fighter Pilot provides twenty-eight informative and realistic steps that we can all take to improve our brainpower. [via]More editions of Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing Your Brain's Potential:
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Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mindby Sandra Blakeslee, V. S. RamachandranISBN 0688172172 (0-688-17217-2)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind'Book summary:What would you say about a woman who, despite stroke-induced paralysis crippling the entire left side of her body, insists that she is whole and strong--who even sees her left hand reach out to grasp objects? Freud called it "denial"; neurologists call it "anosognosia." However it may be labeled, this phenomenon and others like it allow us peeks into other mental worlds and afford us considerable insight into our own.
The writings of Oliver Sacks and others have shown us that we can learn much about ourselves by looking closely at the deficits shown by people with neurological problems. V.S. Ramachandran has seen countless patients suffering from anosognosia, phantom limb pain, blindsight, and other disorders, and he brings a remarkable mixture of clinical intuition and research savvy to bear on their problems. He is one of the few scientists who are able and willing to explore the personal, subjective ramifications of his work; he rehumanizes an often too-sterile field and captures the spirit of wonder so essential for true discovery. Phantoms in the Brain is equal parts medical mystery, scientific adventure, and philosophical speculation; Ramachandran's writing is smart, caring, and very, very funny.
Whether you're curious about the workings of the brain, interested in alternatives to expensive, high-tech science (much of Ramachandran's research is done with materials found around the home), or simply want a fresh perspective on the nature of human consciousness, you'll find satisfaction with Phantoms in the Brain. --Rob Lightner [via]
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Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mindby V. S. Ramachandran, Sandra BlakesleeISBN 0688152473 (0-688-15247-3)
Hardcover, HarperCollins Publishers
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The Psychology of Everyday Thingsby Donald A. NormanISBN 0465067093 (0-465-06709-3)
Hardcover, Perseus Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Psychology of Everyday Things'Book summary:With the many recent advances in technology, it seems, there has followed a diminution of quality. Electronic books have several advantages over their print counterparts, for instance. But for the time being, they're hard to use and unattractive to boot. Computers, which are supposed to make our lives easier, are commonly sources of frustration and wasted time. Movies are wondrously chock-a-block with special effects--but someone forgot the story. And so on.
Donald Norman, a retired professor of cognitive science, is bothered to no end by the fact that grappling with unfriendly objects now takes up so many of our hours. Over the course of several books, of which The Psychology of Everyday Things was the first, he has railed against bad design. He scrutinizes a range of artifacts that are supposed to make our daily living a little easier, and he finds most of them wanting. Why, he asks, does a door need instructions that say "push" or "pull"? A well-designed object, he argues, is self-explanatory. But well-designed objects are increasingly rare, for the present culture places a higher value on aesthetics than utility, even with such items as cordless screwdrivers, dresser drawers, and kitchen cabinets. In their concern for creating "art," many designers don't seem to consider what people actually do with things. Such disregard, Norman suggests, leads to few objects being standardized: think of all the different kinds of unsynchronized clocks that lurk in microwave ovens, VCRs, coffee makers, and the like--and of all the different kinds of batteries needed to drive them. Why, he wonders, must we reset all those clocks whenever the power goes off? Some designer somewhere, he ventures, ought to develop a master clock that communicates with all other electric clocks in a home--one that, when reset, synchronizes its slave units.
You don't need to be especially interested in technological matters to enjoy Norman's arguments. The book's underlying question is aimed at a global audience: will the design of everyday things improve? If this entertaining and, yes, well-designed book changes even a few minds, perhaps it will. --Gregory McNamee [via]
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The Society of Mindby Marvin MinskyISBN 0671657135 (0-671-65713-5)
Softcover, Touchstone Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Society of Mind'Book summary:For some artificial intelligence researchers, Minsky's book is too far removed from hard science to be useful. For others, the high-level approach of The Society of Mind makes it a gold mine of ideas waiting to be implemented. The author, one of the undisputed fathers of the discipline of AI, sets out to provide an abstract model of how the human mind really works. His thesis is that our minds consist of a huge aggregation of tiny mini-minds or agents that have evolved to perform highly specific tasks. Most of these agents lack the attributes we think of as intelligence and are severely limited in their ability to intercommunicate. Yet rational thought, feeling, and purposeful action result from the interaction of these basic components. Minsky's theory does not suggest a specific implementation for building intelligent machines. Still, this book may prove to be one of the most influential for the future of AI. [via]
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Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemologyby Gregory BatesonISBN 0876689500 (0-87668-950-0)
Hardcover, Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology'Book summary:Gregory Bateson was a philosopher, anthropologist, photographer, naturalist, and poet, as well as the husband and collaborator of Margaret Mead. With a new foreword by his daughter Mary Katherine Bateson, this classic anthology of his major work will continue to delight and inform generations of readers.[via]
"This collection amounts to a retrospective exhibition of a working life. . . . Bateson has come to this position during a career that carried him not only into anthropology, for which he was first trained, but into psychiatry, genetics, and communication theory. . . . He . . . examines the nature of the mind, seeing it not as a nebulous something, somehow lodged somewhere in the body of each man, but as a network of interactions relating the individual with his society and his species and with the universe at large."D. W. Harding, New York Review of Books
"[Bateson's] view of the world, of science, of culture, and of man is vast and challenging. His efforts at synthesis are tantalizingly and cryptically suggestive. . . .This is a book we should all read and ponder."Roger Keesing, American AnthropologistMore editions of Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology:
Understanding Computers and Cognition: A New Foundation for Designby Terry Winograd, Fernando FloresISBN 0893910503 (0-89391-050-3)
Hardcover, Intl Specialized Book Service Inc
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Vintage Sacksby Oliver W. SacksISBN 1400033977 (1-4000-3397-7)
Softcover, Random House Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Vintage Sacks'Book summary:Vintage Readers are a perfect introduction to some of the great modern writers presented in attractive, accessible paperback editions.
It is Dr. Sackss gift that he has found a way to enlarge our experience and understanding of what the human is. The Wall Street Journal
Dubbed the poet laureate of medicine by The New York Times, Oliver Sacks is a practicing neurologist and a mesmerizing storyteller. His empathetic accounts of his patientss livesand wrily observed narratives of his ownconvey both the extreme borderlands of human experience and the miracles of ordinary seeing, speaking, hearing, thinking, and feeling.
Vintage Sacks includes the introduction and case study Rose R. from Awakenings (the book that inspired the Oscar-nominated movie), as well as A Deaf World from Seeing Voices; The Visions of Hildegard from Migraine; excerpts from Island Hopping and Pingelap from The Island of the Colorblind; A Surgeons Life from An Anthropologist on Mars; and two chapters from Sackss acclaimed memoir Uncle Tungsten. [via]More editions of Vintage Sacks:
Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We Seeby Donald David HoffmanISBN 0393319679 (0-393-31967-9)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See'Book summary:Visual intelligence, cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman writes, is the power that people use to "construct an experience of objects out of colors, lines, and motions." And what an underappreciated ability it is, too; despite the fact that the visual process uses up a considerable chunk of our brainpower, we're only just learning how it works. Hoffman aptly demonstrates the mysterious constructive powers of our eye-brain machines using lots of simple drawings and diagrams to illustrate basic rules of the visual road. Many of the examples are familiar optical illusions--perspective-confounding cubes, a few lines that add up to a more complex shape than seems right. Hoffman also takes a cue from Oliver Sacks, employing anecdotes about people with various specific visual malfunctions to both further his mechanical explanation of visual intelligence and drive home how important this little-understood aspect of cognition can be in our lives. An especially intriguing example involves a boy, blind from birth, who is surgically given the power to see. At first, he is completely unable to visually distinguish objects familiar by touch, such as the cat and the dog. Other poignant examples show clearly how image construction is normally linked to our emotional well-being and sense of place. Visual Intelligence is a fascinating, confounding look (as it were) at an aspect of human physiology and psychology that very few of us think about much at all. --Therese Littleton [via]
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Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Languageby Steven PinkerISBN 0060958405 (0-06-095840-5)
Softcover, Perennial
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language'Book summary:Human languages are capable of expressing a literally endless number of different ideas. How do we manage it--so effortlessly that we scarcely ever stop to think about it? In Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language, a look at the simple concepts that we use to devise works as complex as love sonnets and tax laws, renowned neuroscientist and linguist Steven Pinker shows us how. The latest linguistic research suggests that each of us stores a limited (though large) number of words and word-parts in memory and manipulates them with a much smaller number of rules to produce every writing and utterance, and Pinker explains every step of the way with engaging good humor.
Pinker's enthusiasm for the subject infects the reader, particularly as he emphasizes the relation between how we communicate and how we think. What does it mean that a small child who has never heard the word wug can tell a researcher that when one wug meets another, there are two wugs? Some rule must be telling the child that English plurals end in -s, which also explains mistakes like mouses. Is our communication linked inextricably with our thinking? Pinker says yes, and it's hard to disagree. Words and Rules is an excellent introduction to and overview of current thinking about language, and will greatly reward the careful reader with new ways of thinking about how we think, talk, and write. --Rob Lightner [via]
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Blink Inteligencia Intuitiva?/blink.: Por Que Sabemos La Verdad En Dos Segundos/ the Power of Thinking Without Thinkingby Malcolm GladwellISBN 1598200879 (1-59820-087-9)
Softcover, Santillana USA Pub Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Blink Inteligencia Intuitiva?/blink.: Por Que Sabemos La Verdad En Dos Segundos/ the Power of Thinking Without Thinking'Book summary:In Blink, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant ¯in the blink of an eye¯ that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? How do our brains really work - in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others? [via]
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Gdel, Escher, Bachby D.R. HofstadterISBN 8472234592 (84-7223-459-2)
Softcover, Tusquets Editor
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Gdel, Escher, Bach'Book summary:¿Puede un sistema comprenderse a sí mismo ? Si esta pregunta se refiere a la mente humana, entonces nos encontramos ante una cuestión clave del pensamiento científico. Y de la filosofía. Y del arte. Investigar este misterio es una aventura que recorre la matemática, la física, la biología, la psicología y, muy especialmente, el lenguaje. Douglas R. Hofstadter, joven y ya célebre científico, nos abre la puerta del enigma con la belleza y la alegría creadora de su estilo. Sorprendentes paralelismos ocultos entre los grabados de Escher y la música de Bach nos remiten a las paradojas clásicas de los antiguos griegos y a un teorema de la lógica matemática moderna que ha estremecido el pensamiento del siglo XX : el de Kurt Gödel. Todo lenguaje, todo sistema formal, todo programa de ordenador, todo proceso de pensamiento, llegan, tarde o temprano, a la situación límite de la autorreferencia : de querer expresarse sobre sí mismos. Surge entonces la emoción del infinito, como dos espejos enfrentados y obligados a reflejarse mutua e indefinidamente. Gödel, Escher, Bach: un Eterno y Grácil Bucle, es una obra de arte escrita por un sabio. Versa sobre los misterios del pensamiento e incluye, ella misma, sus propios misterios. / Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this book applies Godel's seminal contribution to modern Twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, Douglas R. Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid is still something of a marvel. Besides being a profound and entertaining meditation on human thought and creativity, this book looks at the surprising points of contact between the music of Bach, the artwork of Escher, and the mathematics of Gödel.mathematics to the study of the human mind and the development of artificial intelligence. [via]
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Inteligencia Emocionalby Daniel GolemanISBN 8472453715 (84-7245-371-5)
Hardcover, Ld Books Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Inteligencia Emocional'Book summary:[via]Arguing that Western societies overvalue and over-rely on analytical skills that can be measured by IQ tests, this accessible and thorough study pinpoints a range of abilitiestypically overlooked in some culturesthat can be powerful factors in obtaining success and happiness. The book holds that emotional intelligence, comprised of impulse-control, self-motivation, empathy, and social competence, among others, can be as important as diagnostic intelligence when determining personal and professional achievement.
Argumentando que las sociedades occidentales sobrevaloran y dependen demasiado de aptitudes analíticas que se pueden medir con exámenes de CI, este accesible y riguroso estudio señala un ámbito de habilidadestípicamente ignorado en algunas culturasque pueden ser factores importantes en la obtención de éxito y felicidad. El libro mantiene que la inteligencia emocional, comprendiendo el control del impulso, la automotivación, la empatía y la competencia social, entre otras destrezas, pueda ser tan importante como la inteligencia diagnóstica cuando se determina el éxito personal y profesional.
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La Inteligencia Emocional / Emotional Intelligence: Porque es mas importante que el conciente intelectual / Why it Can Matter More Than IQby Not AvailableISBN 9684972059 (968-497-205-9)
Softcover, Ediciones Urano
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› Find signed collectible books: 'La Inteligencia Emocional / Emotional Intelligence: Porque es mas importante que el conciente intelectual / Why it Can Matter More Than IQ'Book summary:Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, this book argues that a view of intelligence based on IQ is far too narrow, and instead makes the case for "emotional intelligence" being the strongest indicator of human success. Emotional intelligence is defined in terms of learned self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, and the ability to love and be loved. People who possess high emotional intelligence succeed in careers and personal relationships. An outline of how parents, educators, and adults seeking self-improvement can cultivate emotional intelligence is included.[via]
Un verdadero fenómeno editorial que revoluciona el concepto de inteligencia, la inteligencia emocional es la que nos permite tomar conciencia de nuestras emociones, comprender los sentimientos de los demás, tolerar las presiones y frustraciones que soportamos en el trabajo, incrementar nuestra capacidad de empatía y nuestras habilidades sociales, y aumentar nuestras posibilidades de desarrollo social. En esta revolucionaria obra ideas prácticas que resultarán útiles a todos los lectores, en especial padres y maestros, son presentadas. Las innovadoras estrategias que plantea ayudarán a erradicar la violencia y otros rasgos negativos que son la causa de muchos males que aquejan a nuestra familia y nuestra sociedad.More editions of La Inteligencia Emocional / Emotional Intelligence: Porque es mas importante que el conciente intelectual / Why it Can Matter More Than IQ:
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La Inteligencia Emocional/Emotional Intelligenceby Daniel GolemanISBN 9501519910 (950-15-1991-0)
Softcover, Distal S R L
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› Find signed collectible books: 'La Inteligencia Emocional/Emotional Intelligence'Book summary:Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, this book argues that a view of intelligence based on IQ is far too narrow, and instead makes the case for "emotional intelligence" being the strongest indicator of human success. Emotional intelligence is defined in terms of learned self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, and the ability to love and be loved. People who possess high emotional intelligence succeed in careers and personal relationships. An outline of how parents, educators, and adults seeking self-improvement can cultivate emotional intelligence is included.[via]
Un verdadero fenómeno editorial que revoluciona el concepto de inteligencia, la inteligencia emocional es la que nos permite tomar conciencia de nuestras emociones, comprender los sentimientos de los demás, tolerar las presiones y frustraciones que soportamos en el trabajo, incrementar nuestra capacidad de empatía y nuestras habilidades sociales, y aumentar nuestras posibilidades de desarrollo social. En esta revolucionaria obra ideas prácticas que resultarán útiles a todos los lectores, en especial padres y maestros, son presentadas. Las innovadoras estrategias que plantea ayudarán a erradicar la violencia y otros rasgos negativos que son la causa de muchos males que aquejan a nuestra familia y nuestra sociedad.More editions of La Inteligencia Emocional/Emotional Intelligence:
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Kant Y El Ornitorrincoby Umberto EcoISBN 8426412653 (84-264-1265-3)
Softcover, Lumen Editorial
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La Tabla Rasaby Steven PinkerISBN 8449314895 (84-493-1489-5)
Softcover, Paidos Iberica Ediciones S A
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› Find signed collectible books: 'La Tabla Rasa'Book summary:La concepción que podamos tener de la naturaleza humana afecta a todos los aspectos de nuestra vida, desde la forma en que educamos a nuestros hijos hasta las ideas políticas que defendemos. Sin embargo, en un momento en que la ciencia está avanzando espectacularmente en estos temas, muchas personas se muestran hostiles al respecto. Temen que los descubrimientos sobre los patrones innatos del pensar y el sentir se puedan emplear para justificar la desigualdad, subvertir el orden social, anular la responsabilidad personal y confundir el sentido y el propósito de la vida.En La tabla rasa, Steven Pinker explora la idea de la naturaleza humana y sus aspectos éticos, emocionales y políticos. Demuestra que muchos intelectuales han negado su existencia al defender tres dogmas entrelazados: la tabla rasa (la mente no tiene características innatas), el buen salvaje (la persona nace buena y la sociedad la corrompe) y el fantasma en la máquina (todos tenemos un alma que toma decisiones sin depender de la biología). Cada dogma sobrelleva una carga ética, y por eso sus defensores se obcecan en tácticas desesperadas para desacreditar a los científicos que los cuestionan.Pinker aporta calma y serenidad a estos debates al mostrar que la igualdad, el progreso, la responsabilidad y el propósito nada tienen que temer de los descubrimientos sobre la complejidad de la naturaleza humana. Con un razonamiento claro, sencillez en la exposición y ejemplos procedentes de la ciencia y la historia, el autor desmonta incluso las amenazas más inquietantes. Y demuestra que un reconocimiento de la naturaleza humana basado en la ciencia y el sentido común, lejos de ser peligroso, puede ser un complemento a las ideas sobre la condición humana que miles de miles de artistas y filósofos han generado. Todo ello aderezado con un estilo que, en sus obras anteriores, le sirvió para conseguir muchos premios y el aplauso internacional: ingenio, lucidez y agudeza en el análisis de todos los asuntos, sean grandes o pequeños. [via]
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Ao Encontro De Espinosa: As Emocoes Sociais E a Neurologia Do Sentirby Antonio R. DamasioISBN 9721052299 (972-1-05229-9)
Hardcover, Publicacoes Europa-America
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Ao Encontro De Espinosa: As Emocoes Sociais E a Neurologia Do Sentir'More editions of Ao Encontro De Espinosa: As Emocoes Sociais E a Neurologia Do Sentir:
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Critica De La Razon Puraby Immanuel KantISBN 8430938109 (84-309-3810-9)
Softcover, Grupo Anaya Comercial
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Critica De La Razon Pura'Book summary:Nuestra epoca es la epoca de la critica, a la que todo tiene que someterse. La religion por su santidad y la legislacion por su majestad quieren generalmente sustraerse a ella. Pero entonces suscitan contra si sospechas justificadas y no pueden aspirar a un respeto sincero, que la razon solo concede a quien ha podido sostener libre y publico examen .Immanuel Kant [via]
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Kant E L'ornitorincoby Umberto EcoISBN 8845228681 (88-452-2868-1)
Hardcover, Bompiani
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Et L'homme Crea Les Dieux: Comment Expliquer La Religionby Pascal BoyerISBN 2221090462 (2-221-09046-2)
Hardcover, R. Laffont
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Kritik Der Reinen Vernunftby Immanuel Kant, Jens TimmermannISBN 3787313192 (3-7873-1319-2)
Hardcover, F. Meiner Verlag
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Kritik Der Reinen Vernunft'Book summary:Die Erfolgsgeschichte der modernen Naturwissenschaften vor Augen, wollte Kant auch die Philosophie, insbesondere die Metaphysik auf den sicheren Weg einer Wissenschaft bringen. Das Ergebnis war jedoch die wohl wirkungsvollste und nachhaltigste Zerstörung metaphysischen Denkens in der neuzeitlichen Philosophie.
Kant sprach von einer Kopernikanischen Wende. Sie sollte dadurch herbeigeführt werden, dass die philosophische Erkenntnis sich von den Gegenständen selbst auf die Möglichkeit der Erkenntnis derselben zurückwendet. Kritik der reinen Vernunft bedeutet daher vor allem Selbstprüfung des menschlichen Erkenntnisvermögens hinsichtlich seiner Grenzen und Erkenntnismöglichkeiten. Kants für die moderne Philosophie grundlegende Einsicht war, dass erfahrungsunabhängige, also metaphysische Erkenntnis nur in der Einschränkung auf die formalen Bedingungen möglicher Erfahrung beweisbar und damit alle traditionelle Metaphysik nichts als Scheinwissenschaft ist.
Grundvoraussetzung für dieses Projekt ist die Rückführung aller gültigen Erkenntnis auf die im Subjekt angelegten Bedingungen. So wie Raum und Zeit keine Gegenstände, sondern reine, subjektive Anschauungsformen möglichen Gegebenseins von konkreten empirischen Erscheinungen sind, so sind auch die reinen Verstandesbegriffe bloß formale Bedingungen der Einheit möglicher Objekte. Wir erkennen nie die Dinge an sich selbst, sondern nur die Erscheinungen, das heißt die Gegenstände, wie sie uns durch die formalen Bedingungen unseres Erkenntnisvermögens gegeben sind.
Vor allem Kants idealistische Erben wollten sich mit dieser Einschränkung der Erkenntnis auf die Erscheinungswelt nicht zufrieden geben und gingen daher über Kants kritischen Idealismus hinaus. Statt dessen versucht man in der sprachphilosophisch geläuterten, modernen Erkenntnistheorie (Putnam, McDowell) wieder an Kants Kritizismus Anschluss zu finden. --Jens Kertscher [via]
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