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Reality: A Very Short Introduction 1st Edition

by Jan Westerhoff (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 128 ratings
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Is matter real? Are persons real? Is time real? This Very Short Introduction discusses what, if anything, is "real" by looking at a variety of arguments from philosophy, physics, and cognitive science. Jan Westerhoff shows that the question "what is real?" is not some esoteric puzzle that only philosophers ponder. Scientists also ask this question when they investigate whether candidates for the fundamental constituents of matter are actually "out there" or just a mere abstraction from a successful theory and 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 the self.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199594414
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199594412
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    January 13, 2012
  6. Part of series
    Very Short Introductions
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    0.4 x 4.3 x 6.8 inches
  9. Print length
    144 pages
  10. See all details
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very short introducations, introductions, comprehensive
very short introductions, VSI, key features, concise, exper authors, analysis, grow your knowledge
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About the Author

Jan Westerhoff is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Durham.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (January 13, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199594414
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199594412
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.4 x 4.3 x 6.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 128 ratings

About the author

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Jan Westerhoff

Jan Westerhoff

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Jan Westerhoff is Professor of Buddhist Philosophy at the University of Oxford. His books include Ontological Categories (2005), Nãgãrjuna's Madhyamaka (2009), The Dispeller of Disputes (2010), Twelve Examples of Illusion (2010) Reality. A Very Short Introduction (2011), and The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy (2018), all published by Oxford University Press.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
128 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Randolph Eck
5.0 out of 5 stars What is real?
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2015
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Jan Westerhoff introduces us here to the subject of reality. Have you ever pondered the question: What is real? If so, you might be interested in this short introduction. Let me tell you that this book, being short, can only whet your appetite for the subject. The author covers simulations and dreams – are we in one? Other questions are pondered as well. Is matter real? There are five definitions of reality, which are explored in more detail. He then discusses the notion: are we real? Some things discussed are the “Cartesian theater,” beta phenomenon, many worlds interpretation, and readiness potential. Is time real? Here we our introduced to three possible configurations of the universe: growing, block, and presentism. It’s all interesting stuff, and it’s a bit mind boggling.
3 people found this helpful
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Don S. Asper
5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2017
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This is a wonderful and exciting book. For me it reads like a thriller. This is the only book I'm aware of that concisely summarizes and organizes this many world-views, encompassing aspects of physics, computation and philosophy. They are presented with reasonable depth (given the book's size) as well as breadth, and are arranged so that you get a sense of their relationship to one another and how they developed. The philosophical arguments include major ideas from Eastern as well as Western schools of thought, juxtaposing scientific and meditative traditions: science meets "emptiness".
2 people found this helpful
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kc-lam
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2012
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This book explores the fascinating question of reality about material objects around us, person and the self as well as time. Real is what appears to most people most of the time. By this commonly accepted definition, matter, person and the self are real. However, they actually are not real according to the 'apocalyptic' and 'turtle' definitions of reality.

The key function of time, to describe change, can still be carried out without any reference to time (simply by relating repeating physical processes directly to each other). Therefore, time can be considered as a psychological artefact and it may not be real according to the apocalyptic definition (real is what is there anyway without us). It is also doubtful that time is real according to the turtle definition (real is a fundamental and irreducible feature of the world).

By the way, it is interesting to note that we do not ever seem to experience the 'present' moment as processing of neural information takes time. Once we are conscious of this information, the moment that gave rise to it and everything that happened during that moment, has already passed. There is also no guarantee that the order in which we perceive events actually corresponds to the order of their occurrence!
6 people found this helpful
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Matthew Rapaport
3.0 out of 5 stars A decent review of basic arguments against the reality of just about anything.
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2015
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This book might more appropriately be called "Unreality: A Very Short Introduction" Dr. Westerhoff uses his space here basically to review many of the dominant (and purely philosophical) arguments against various positions taken on the subject of what is real. One by one, matter, mind, personality, space, and time fall away and we are left with what? To be fair, the author's purpose appears to be the classification of various schemes asserting the reality (and unreality) of one thing or another, and in this respect he does a good job reviewing the territory. In the last chapter, there is a nice diagrammatic representation of the various schemes and also illustrates the inherent built in structure that the author applies everywhere, namely that there is consciousness, and there is something else besides consciousness. Whether or not you take either one or both to be either real or unreal (and Dr. Westerhoff covers all these cases), it is the only starting point we have from which to divide up the possibilities.
2 people found this helpful
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Yassine Benajiba
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in the series
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2013
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I don't even know how to describe how much I loved this book. I have read like 10 or 15 books of this series and some of them I have hated and other I have loved but this one stands out. The authors walks you through different aspects of reality and discusses whether they are really part of reality or just another illusion. I couldn't recommend this book enough for people who want a good dose of 'reality'
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Joshua Reuben
5.0 out of 5 stars Important ponderings for contemplating a simulted reality
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2012
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Are you real ? Are the people around you ?
Is the past, present or future real ?
Is the universe real ?

Ultimately, besides the axiom that the Truth is real, there are no verifiable answers to these questions - its non-falsifiable metaphysics - philosophy, not science.
relevant & succinct mind-stretching for any programmer dealing with virtual realities & object instantiation, or physicists dealing with conjectures regarding holographic or infinite universes.
It certainly does make you think.
2 people found this helpful
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Ferdino
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for its size
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2016
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The book exceeded my expectations. I thought it woulld just provide general outlines for existing theories on ontology. But it goes way beyond that, and successfully at that. It goes into interesting discussions of time, ego, solipsism, etc.
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Gary T. Kleemann
5.0 out of 5 stars intelligent and complete - the desired trifecta of this series
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2015
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Concise, intelligent and complete - the desired trifecta of this series. Will be using it in our local philosophy club. Thank You, Jan Westerhoff.
Gary T. Kleemann
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Bertrand
5.0 out of 5 stars Good summary and interesting topic
Reviewed in France on August 28, 2021
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Good summary and interesting topic. Very legible and it gives you the desire to further explore this area.
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romarin
5.0 out of 5 stars 何なにが、どこまでが、「現実げんじつ」なのか
Reviewed in Japan on May 4, 2017
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NHKでも放映ほうえい中ちゅうの『モーガン・フリーマン　時空じくうを超こえて』に出演しゅつえんしていた著者ちょしゃの枕元まくらもとに本書ほんしょが置おかれていたので、実際じっさいに読よんでみた。
オクスフォード大学だいがく出版しゅっぱん局きょくの「A Very Short Introduction」シリーズは薄うすい小型こがたの本ほんだが、本書ほんしょは、現実げんじつとは何なにかという深遠しんえんな問といを、限かぎられた紙幅しふくの中なかで多様たような面めんから掘ほり下さげている。
少々しょうしょう意外いがいだったのは、著者ちょしゃが哲学てつがくの准じゅん教授きょうじゅでありながら、相対性理論そうたいせいりろんや量子力学りょうしりきがく、脳のうの反はん応おうなど科学かがく的てきな知見ちけんをふんだんに用もちいていたことである。
また、内容ないよう・英語えいご共どもに難むずかしいところは時折ときおりあるものの、映画えいがや文学ぶんがくにも言及げんきゅうしながら、つとめて分わかりやすく書かかれているので主題しゅだいのわりに読よみやすい。
例たとえば自分じぶんも周囲しゅういの物ものもシミュレーションで、実じつは自分じぶんは脳のうしかないのかもしれない等ひとしといったように、
本書ほんしょは、今いまここに当あたり前まえに現実げんじつに存在そんざいしていると思おもわれるものを皆みな考かんがえ直なおさせてくれる。
本文ほんぶんに指摘してきされているように、いずれにしても我々われわれは人体じんたいの仕組しくみを経由けいゆして周囲しゅういの世界せかいを知覚ちかくしている以上いじょう、現実げんじつ―それをどう定義ていぎするにせよ―を正確せいかくにつかむことは不可能ふかのうなのかもしれない。
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J. Sarte
3.0 out of 5 stars Good content, quick read, but not the most enjoyable
Reviewed in Canada on May 31, 2016
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A nice introduction but I did not like the writing style. Nevertheless, I learned a few things that I did not know before.
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Jf Salazar
5.0 out of 5 stars Blew my mind
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2012
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If you've ever wanted a conveniently-sized book to have in your bag for those hyperreal moments like waiting for a doctor's appointment or waiting to be served in the post office, then this book will totally turn around those moments. Worried that you're actually just a head in a jar being fed virtual reality? Or that you're dreaming reading this right now? (Answers: If you are, you're almost certainly not, and yes, there's a one-in-ten chance that you are).
The Very Short Introductions are packed with very interesting revelations and awaken a "real" fascination with a subject that goes so much further - well-written and informative, I got far more from this (and the other one I bought, Nothing) than I thought I would, it was imaginatively presented and gave an awful lot of information for such a small book on such a complex subject.
6 people found this helpful
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RAS
4.0 out of 5 stars La réalité
Reviewed in France on May 16, 2018
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Souvent on prend ces choses comme évidentes, la réalité est censée réelle aussi bien en science que dans la vie quotidienne. Une réflexion sur la réalité qui est menée de façon philosophique, qu'en est-il du rêve, des simulations, est-ce que les personnes sont réelles, le temps est-il réel, etc. Ça ne se lit pas comme un roman, il faut s'accrocher et lire lentement, en réfléchissant à chaque paragraphe ce que cela veut dire. En prenant son temps, on finit par en tirer un bénéfice.
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