Virtualism, Mind and Reality: an Approach to Untangle the Consciousness Problem

Raspanti proposes a metaphysical worldview, called Virtualism, as a way to untangle the much debated "consciousness problem." The term "consciousness" refers to our awareness of an inner mental life of sensory experiences, moods, thoughts, and emotions. Virtualism holds that mind, not matter, is the only fundamental metaphysical entity: we are all living in a dream-like but totally coherent Virtual Universe created by a Cosmic Mind that extends into individual minds. Like Materialism, Virtualism is compatible with all the empirical findings of science. Unlike Materialism, Virtualism is compatible with free will, and can plausibly account for human creativity, spiritual aspirations, artistic urges, and moral imperatives. The book gives an introduction to consciousness for lay readers in Part I, and discusses Virtualism in Part II. An appendix profiles four contemporary philosophers of mind. "A thought-provoking, accessible philosophy book for armchair theorists." (Kirkus Discoveries)