現実とは何か、というのは哲学が古代から答えを探求し続ける問題のひとつです。しかし、これは哲学者だけが抱く疑問ではありません。科学者も物質の基本的構成要素は実際にそこにあるのか、あるいは抽象的な概念でしかないのかと疑問を抱き、その答えを求めています。本書では、哲学や物理学、認知科学の分野で繰り広げられてきた幅広い論争、理論、思考実験を検証しながら、現実とは何であるのかという大きな問いに挑みます。
  

• An engaging introduction and discussion of a key philosophical topic
• Incorporates examples from philosophy, physics, and cognitive science
• Looks at the cultural influence of the idea of 'reality' and its modern-day resonance

'What is real?' has been one of the key questions of philosophy since its beginning in antiquity. It is a question that, due to such films as The Matrix, has also made its way into popular culture. But it is not just a question philosophers ask. It is also asked by scientists when they investigate whether the fundamental constituents of matter are actually 'out there' or just a mere abstraction from a successful theory. Cognitive scientists ask it when trying to find out which set of the bewildering array of data processed by our brain could constitute the basis for such supposedly fundamental entities like the free agent or the self.

This Very Short Introduction discusses what reality is by looking at a variety of arguments, theories and thought-experiments from philosophy, physics, and cognitive science.