Abstract

An attempt on the part of one of the pioneer neurophysiologists to summarize and relate the evidence for a correlation between psychic processes and the functional organization of the brain as expressed in neural processes. The thesis of the book is that the subjective contents of consciousness are both correlated with and dependent upon cerebral structure and processes, a relatively uncontroversial thesis these days. From a philosophical point of view, it is interesting that Hess never speaks of the possible reduction, logical or otherwise, of psychic contents to brain processes, but, in fact, implies that such a thesis is meaningless given the present methodology of neurophysiology. An extensive bibliography has been included along with an index.—E. A. R.