Robots, Zombies and Us: Understanding Consciousness

by Robert Kirk

Could robots be genuinely intelligent? Could they be conscious? Could there be zombies? Prompted by these questions Robert Kirk introduces the main problems of consciousness and sets out a new approach to solving them.

He starts by discussing behaviourism, Turing's test of intelligence and Searle's famous Chinese Room argument, and goes on to examine dualism – the idea that consciousness requires something beyond the physical – together with its opposite, physicalism. Probing the idea of zombies, he concludes they are logically impossible. Having presented the central problems, he sketches his solution: a version of functionalism, according to which consciousness consists in the performance of functions.

While there is wide agreement among philosophers about what the main problems of consciousness are, there is little agreement on how to go about solving them. With this powerful case for his version of functionalism, Kirk offers an engaging introduction to both the problems and a possible solution.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published February 23, 2017

About the author

Robert Kirk (born 1933) is an emeritus professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham. He is known for his work on philosophical zombies—putatively unconscious beings physically and behaviourally identical to human beings.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the main problems of consciousness. Just like any book, especially philosophy, what you get out of it is proportional to the amount of effort you put in. Keep in mind, this isn't an exhaustive tome, but just an introductory discussion.