The Matter of Consciousness

What can Mary know about the conscious experience of color from inside her black and white room, and what follows for the metaphysics of consciousness? Torin Alter gives a state-of-the-art analysis of these issues. He focuses especially on the crucial gap between structural and phenomenal aspects of reality, and articulates a powerful version of Russellian monism that traces this gap to a deep level of the physical world. Along the way he gives a definitive defense of anti-materialist arguments from objections old and new, shedding new light on this crucial nexus between consciousness, knowledge, and reality. * David Chalmers, New York University *
The Matter of Consciousness is a thorough and comprehensive treatment of the knowledge argument, one of the most compelling and influential arguments against physicalism about consciousness. Torin Alter's treatment of this argument and the objections that have been raised against it is unsurpassed in quality and clarity. This book is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the contemporary case against physicalism about the mind. * Derk Pereboom, Cornell University *
It's an impressive piece of work, and well worth reading both for specialists…and perhaps even more for those less knowledgeable…It is written with great efficiency, occasional panache, immense fairness, and exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge. To be so patient in discussion, yet so concise in exposition and argument, is an achievement I could not dream of getting close to. This is peak analytic philosophy of mind. * Sam Coleman, Australasian Journal of Philosophy *
Alter's The Matter of Consciousness is not only the most systematic defense of the knowledge argument, it is so crystal clear, so compelling, that it should be required reading not only for those interested in consciousness, but for those interested in clear philosophical writing. * Robert J. Howell, Philosophia *
In The Matter of Consciousness: From the Knowledge Argument to Russellian Monism, Torin Alter argues for something surprising: despite being widely rejected by philosophers, including Frank Jackson himself (1994), Jackson's (1982, 1986) knowledge argument … succeeds. Alter's defense of Jackson's argument is not only surprising; it's also exciting: the knowledge argument, if it's sound, underscores the power of armchair philosophy, the power of pure thought to arrive at substantial conclusions about the world. * Barbara Montero, Philosophia *
I agree with much of what Torin Alter says in this important book. * Frank Jackson, Philosophia *
…Torin Alter's excellent book The Matter of Consciousness. * Amy Kind, Philosophia *