Models of the Self

Models of the Self, collects 27 essays from four volumes of the Joon/al of COllSciOUSTless Studies. The explicit aim of the collecdon is to "explore various dimensions of the self by drawing on a diverse set of disciplines and approaches" (p. xi). Included are the perspectives of analytic philosophy. developmental and evolutionary biology, transcendental meditation, neurology, neuroscience, phenomenology, developmental and cognitive psychology, psychiatry and robotics. The collection is uneven in quality and, taken as a whole, amounts to what Galen Strawson calls a "festival of misunderstanding" (p.483). Yet sometimes disorienting and confusing festivities are the most fun (even if they are unlikely ro leave you feeling clear headed), and perhaps the study of the self is roo young to abandon such raucous ways. The chaperones to this affair (a lO-page introduction by Gallagher & Shear and two articles by Strawson) do little ro maintain order. The introduction (Gallagher & Shear) consists of a two-page romp through the history of philosophy from Aristotle to Hume (a curious terminus) and a series of paragraph-length chapter summaries. As such, it does very litt1e to identify or diffuse misunderstandings, to highlight overlap or to stimulate further communication between these different disciplinary perspectives. This task is left to two bookend pieces by Strawson: "The self' (the first essay of the collection) and "The self and the SESMET" (a "response" article that is the last). This editorial choice gives the misleading impression that the collection is organized around Strawson. In fact, his provocative opener receives far more mention than focused treatmenc in the other essays. Consequently, Strawson's response essay addresses only mose that seriously engage him, addresses them only ro the extent that they engage him, and so does little to keep things from getting out of control. The guests are loosely clumped inco six groups: (i) philosophical controversies, (ii) cognitive and neuroscientific models, (iii) developmental and phenomenological constraints, (iv) pathologies of the self, (v) meditation-based apBOOK REVIEWS 213