#13 in Philosophy
I Am a Strange Loop
- 436
- Pages
- about 8 h
- Reading time
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About the book
One of our greatest philosophers and scientists of the mind asks, where does the self come from--and how our selves can exist in the minds of others. Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, soul, consciousness, "I" arise out of mere matter? If it cannot, then how can you or I be here? I Am a Strange Loop argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the "strange loop"-a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains. The most central and complex symbol in your brain is the one called "I." The "I" is the nexus in our brain, one of many symbols seeming to have free will and to have gained the paradoxical ability to push particles around, rather than the reverse. How can a mysterious abstraction be real-or is our "I" merely a convenient fiction? Does an "I" exert genuine power over the particles in our brain, or is it helplessly pushed around by the laws of physics? These are the mysteries tackled in I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter's first book-length journey into philosophy since Gödel, Escher, Bach. Compulsively readable and endlessly thought-provoking, this is a moving and profound inquiry into the nature of mind.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.6 across 69 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 31% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Philosophy average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 6.0 | 12 | 17% |
| Hardcover | 8.0 | 57 | 83% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“There really is no valid reason I could recommend this book. It would be the rare reader who is interested in this topic who hasn't read about all the classical Philosophy of Mind thought experiments presented throughout this book, and I really would have to…”
“Thought-provoking examination of the nature of consciousness and self. Lays out the choice between dualist and reductionist philosophies in stark relief. This is one of those books that I know is going to suddenly pop back into my thoughts at totally random times as some of its ramifications start to reveal themselves.”
Frequently asked
How long is I Am a Strange Loop?
It has 436 pages — longer than 70% of the ranked books in Philosophy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Philosophy — with scores between 7.7 and 8.4, closest to this book.
