ABSTRACT
There has been an explosion of work on consciousness in the last few decades from philosophers, psychologists, and neurologists. Because of the large volume and interdisciplinary nature of this research, there is a need for a wide-ranging collection of essays that brings together fundamental and cutting-edge topics on consciousness, making their philosophical import understandable to researchers with various backgrounds. Such an approach can also appeal to upper-level undergraduates, who may have had only one or two courses in philosophy. The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness will work as a valuable reference for such students enrolled in courses on “Consciousness,” “Philosophy of Mind,” or “Philosophy of Psychology,” designed to complement and better explain primary sources. Even seasoned philosophers of mind and philosophers of psychology will likely find this book useful, since it is very difficult to claim expertise in all of the areas covered. Still, the overall emphasis is to introduce the uninitiated to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, which is at least one way that this collection will stand out among its competitors. 1 Of course, due to the very nature of some topics, some chapters are understandably more advanced or technical than others.
