Stream of Consciousness: Unity and Continuity in Conscious Experience

This is one of the best and most original books on consciousness that I have read for a long time. It is written in a beautifully clear style, the argumentation is entirely lucid and proceeds in a systematic manner." Antti Revonsuo, PSYCHE "Dainton's book is a superb example of sober thinking and meticulous attention to detail." Tim Bayne, Journal of Consciousness Studies "This is one of the most interesting books in the philosophy of mind that I have read in recent years... Dainton's discussion of our conscious experience of temporality and change is especially impressive. No philosopher interested in the nature of phenomenal consciousness can afford to ignore this book." E.J. Lowe, University of Durham What is the basic architecture of consciousness? How are time and space manifest in conscious experience? Is Consciousness really like a stream, as William James famously argued? Although there has been a massive upsurge of interest recently in consciousness, most of this has been focused onthe relationship between consciousness and the brain. This has meant that important and intriguing questions concerning the fundamental characteristics of consciousness itself have not received the attention they deserve. Stream of Consciousness is devoted to these questions, presenting a systematic, phenomenological inquiry into the most general features of conscious life: the nature of awareness, introspection, phenomenal space and time-consciousness. Barry Dainton shows us that a stream of consciousness is not a mosaic of discrete fragments of experience, but rather an interconnected flowing whole. This is a result of a single primitive experiential relationship which he calls "co-consciousness," a relationship which holds between those experiences that are had together both a time and over time. Stream of Consciousness will interest anyone concerned with the current debates on consciousness in philosophy, psychology and neuroscience. It caused quite a stir when it was first published and this newin paperback includes an afterword in which the author responds to some of his critics.

Barry Dainton is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool