Brain Fiction – Self–Deception and the Riddle of the Confabulation (Philosophical Psychopathology: Disorders in Mind S.) - Hardcover
Synopsis
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2005
Some neurological patients exhibit a striking tendency to confabulate—to construct false answers to a question while genuinely believing that they are telling the truth. A stroke victim, for example, will describe in detail a conference he attended over the weekend when in fact he has not left the hospital. Normal people, too, sometimes have a tendency to confabulate; rather than admitting "I don't know," some people will make up an answer or an explanation and express it with complete conviction. In Brain Fiction, William Hirstein examines confabulation and argues that its causes are not merely technical issues in neurology or cognitive science but deeply revealing about the structure of the human intellect.
Hirstein describes confabulation as the failure of a normal checking or censoring process in the brain—the failure to recognize that a false answer is fantasy, not reality. Thus, he argues, the creative ability to construct a plausible-sounding response and some ability to check that response are separate in the human brain. Hirstein sees the dialectic between the creative and checking processes—"the inner dialogue"—as an important part of our mental life. In constructing a theory of confabulation, Hirstein integrates perspectives from different fields, including philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology to achieve a natural mix of conceptual issues usually treated by philosophers with purely empirical issues; information about the distribution of certain blood vessels in the prefrontal lobes of the brain, for example, or the behavior of split-brain patients can shed light on the classic questions of philosophy of mind, including questions about the function of consciousness. This first book-length study of confabulation breaks ground in both philosophy and cognitive science.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
William Hirstein is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Elmhurst College.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Brain Fiction – Self–Deception and the...
Stock Image
Brain Fiction: Self-Deception And The Riddle Of Confabulation (Philosophical Psychopathology: Disorders in Mind)
Seller: HPB-Red, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_472137833
Stock Image
Brain Fiction : Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP101888089
Stock Image
Brain Fiction: Self-Deception And The Riddle Of Confabulation (Philosophical Psychopathology: Disorders in Mind)
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0262083388I4N00
Stock Image
Brain Fiction: Self-Deception And The Riddle Of Confabulation (Philosophical Psychopathology: Disorders in Mind)
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0262083388I3N00
Seller Image
Brain Fiction: Self-Deception And The Riddle Of Confabulation (Philosophical Psychopathology: Disorders in Mind)
Published by
MIT Press, 2005
ISBN 10: 0262083388
ISBN 13: 9780262083386
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Turgid Tomes, Nashville, TN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. MIT Press, 2005. Hard cover, first edition. Minimal highlighting on a few pages, otherwise VG condition in VG dust jacket. Seller Inventory # SKU1084530
Stock Image
Brain Fiction: Self-Deception and the Riddle of Confabulation - 1st Edition/1st Printing
Published by
The Mit Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts And London, England, 2005
ISBN 10: 0262083388
ISBN 13: 9780262083386
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Books Tell You Why - ABAA/ILAB, Summerville, SC, U.S.A.
Seller rating 2 out of 5 stars
Cloth. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition; First Printing. A mildly soiled first Printing of the First Edition in otherwise Near Fine condition and housed in a like dust-jacket that is shelfworn and bears some adhesive residue to the front cover; The book explores the phenomena of self-deception and confabulation, looking at how these phenomena can be used to explain some of the mysteries of the brain.; 8vo; 289 pages. Seller Inventory # 58105