Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

Description: In this book Alan Wallace, a scholar and practitioner of Buddhism and with a background in science, argues for a new science of consciousness that takes subjectivity into account. He makes the point that consciousness is an unexplored and important domain of human existence and that current scientific paradigms systematically prevent its thorough investigation because of its own materialistic assumptions. The beginning of the book looks at the history and development of scientific materialism and its origins in Christian Europe during the scientific revolution. The author looks the history of scientific attempts at introspection, as well as modern criticisms of the possibility of observing the mind. Wallace proposes a new model for exploring consciousness guided by the insights of the world's contemplative traditions, focussing primarly on the Buddhist works attributed to Buddhaghosa, Asaṅga, and Padmasambhava. In the third section of the book, Wallace outlines the modern resistance to a science of observing the mind and documents the widespread influence of scientific materialism in the contemporary culture. (Zach Rowinski 2004-05-18)

Table of Contents: Introduction: the no man's land of consciousness -- Pt. 1 The ideology of scientific materialism : 1. Four dimensions of the scientific tradition ; 2. Theological impulses in the scientific revolution -- pt. 2 Toward a noetic revolution : 3. An empirical alternative ; 4. Observing the mind ; 5. Exploring the mind -- pt. 3 The resistance : 6. The mind in scientific materialism ; 7. Confusing scientific materialism with science ; 8. Scientific materialism: the ideology of modernity ; Conclusion: no boundaries ; notes ; bibliography ; index

Published reviews:

Clayton, P. "[Book review] the taboo of subjectivity : toward a new science of consciousness." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 71 (2003): 472-475.

Kiblinger, William B. "[Book Review] the taboo of subjectivity : toward a new science of consciousness. The Journal of Religion 83 (2003): 152.

Lorimer, D. "The need for a noetic revolution : review of Alan Wallace's the taboo of subjectivity." Journal of Consciousness Studies 9 (2002): 89-91.

Petranker, J. "Who will be the scientists? a review of B. Alan Wallace's the taboo of subjectivity." Journal of Consciousness Studies 8 (2001): 83-90.

Seager, William. "[Book review] the taboo of subjectivity : toward a new science of consciousness." Isis 92 (2001): 771.