ABSTRACT
There has been an explosion of work on consciousness in the last few decades from philosophers, psychologists, and neurologists. The Routledge Handbook of Consciousness will work as a valuable reference for such students enrolled in courses on "Consciousness," "Philosophy of Mind," or "Philosophy of Psychology," designed to complement and better explain primary sources. Consciousness is arguably the most important area within contemporary philosophy of mind. One might think that the term 'conscious' is synonymous with, say, 'awareness,' or 'experience,' or 'attention.' The expression 'conscious awareness' does not seem to be redundant. Self-consciousness itself arguably comes in degrees of sophistication, ranging from minimal bodily self-awareness to the ability to reason and reflect on one's own mental states, such as one's beliefs and desires. Unconscious cognitions compete for the spotlight of attention from which information is "broadcast globally" throughout the system. Consciousness consists in such global broadcasting and functions as a dynamic and adaptable global workspace.
