Virtualism, Mind and Reality: An Approach to Untangle the Consciousness Problem

Raspanti proposes a metaphysical worldview, called Virtualism, as a way to untangle the much debated "consciousness problem." The term "consciousness" refers to our awareness of an inner mental life of sensory experiences, moods, thoughts, and emotions. Virtualism holds that mind, not matter, is the only fundamental metaphysical entity: we are all living in a dream-like but totally coherent Virtual Universe created by a Cosmic Mind that extends into individual minds. Like Materialism, Virtualism is compatible with all the empirical findings of science. Unlike Materialism, Virtualism is compatible with free will, and can plausibly account for human creativity, spiritual aspirations, artistic urges, and moral imperatives. The book gives an introduction to consciousness for lay readers in Part I, and discusses Virtualism in Part II. An appendix profiles four contemporary philosophers of mind. "A thought-provoking, accessible philosophy book for armchair theorists." (Kirkus Discoveries)

Author: Matthew Raspanti
Publisher: Booksurge Publishing
Published: 08/12/2008
Pages: 156
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.37lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.33d
ISBN: 9781419655104

About the Author
Born in New York City, Matthew Raspanti from the age of seven lived in Italy, where he remained until he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Palermo with a doctorate in industrial engineering. After returning to the States in 1947, he earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. A member of technical staff at world-renowned Lucent Bell Labs for thirty-five years, he served as a department head for nearly a quarter of a century. His fields of interest were the hardware and software of computers and computer-controlled telephone switching systems. He holds three patents and is an associate member of the research fraternity Sigma Xi. After retiring in 1990, he continued to pursue his great interest in philosophy.

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