Susan Blackmore "Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford Very Short Introductions)

An easy introduction to "consciousness" or "sense of self". Well, I am a Zen Buddhist practicing Zen meditation myself so my opinion on this book may sound a bit bizzare and useless for ordinary people. I do not think the questions raised by this book are so important. I imagine that "consciousness" are comprised of many functions and organs. Therefor it is not surprising there be many ways to break down their associations or cordinations, which are of course very interesting. Maybe the most important question for the author is that of "free will", which I am not so curious about. I never understand for whom "free will" is free. By the way, I am thinking about reading Hume, hoping he is on my side.

「意識」と呼ばれる現象が何を指しているのかというような本。あいにくとわたしは仏教徒なので、普通の人ほどこの問題を深刻に考えない。意識という言葉が何を指しているかはともかく、色々な機構が脳内にあるだろうし、そいつらの連携を断ち切るような方法があって当然だし、面白い。「自我意識」とか「自由意思」という問題も取り上げられているけど、まあ筆者が言うように錯覚というか、単なる言葉と、考えていいように思う。