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The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes
Can we trust our senses to tell us the truth?
Challenging leading scientific theories that claim that our senses report back objective reality, cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman argues that while we should take our perceptions seriously, we should not take them literally. How can it be possible that the world we see is not objective reality? And how can our senses be useful if they are not communicating the truth? Hoffman grapples with these questions and more over the course of this eye-opening work.
Ever since Homo sapiens has walked the earth, natural selection has favored perception that hides the truth and guides us toward useful action, shaping our senses to keep us alive and reproducing. We observe a speeding car and do not walk in front of it; we see mold growing on bread and do not eat it. These impressions, though, are not objective reality. Just like a file icon on a desktop screen is a useful symbol rather than a genuine representation of what a computer file looks like, the objects we see every day are merely icons, allowing us to navigate the world safely and with ease.
The real-world implications for this discovery are huge. From examining why fashion designers create clothes that give the illusion of a more “attractive” body shape to studying how companies use color to elicit specific emotions in consumers, and even dismantling the very notion that spacetime is objective reality, The Case Against Reality dares us to question everything we thought we knew about the world we see.
40 illustrations; 8 pages of color illustrations- ISBN-100393254690
- ISBN-13978-0393254693
- PublisherW. W. Norton & Company
- Publication dateAugust 13, 2019
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions6.5 x 1 x 9.6 inches
- Print length272 pages
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From the Publisher
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Editorial Reviews
Review
― Deepak Chopra, author of The Healing Self
"Hoffman’s truly radical theory will force us to ponder reality in a completely different light. Handle with care. Your perception of the world around you is about to be dismantled!"
― Chris Anderson, author of TED Talks
"Think you know what’s really out there? Read this breathtaking, whistle-stop tour of a book that illuminates all the profound weirdness masked by our experience and assumptions."
― David Eagleman, best-selling author of The Brain and Incognito
"A fresh view into who we truly are―one that transcends the perceptions that we accept as reality. Hoffman unapologetically takes us down a rabbit hole where we learn that all reality is virtual and that truth lies solely in you, the creator."
― Rudolph Tanzi, coauthor of Super Brain
"Captivating and courageous…anyone who reads this book will likely never look at the world the same way again. Hoffman challenges us to rethink some of the most basic foundations of neuroscience and physics, which could prove to be exactly what we need to make progress on the most difficult questions we face about the nature of reality."
― Annaka Harris, author of Conscious
"In the mood to have your mind blown? In this fascinating, deeply original, and wonderfully engaging book, Hoffman takes us on a tour of the uncharted territory where cognitive science, fundamental physics, and evolutionary biology meet― and where the nature of reality hangs in the balance. You’ll never look at the world― or, rather, your interface― the same way again."
― Amanda Gefter, author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn
"Woody Allen once said, ‘I hate reality, but . . . where else can you get a good steak dinner?’ Hoffman turns that joke on its head: What we have always been after is the steak dinner; what we call reality is our best adapted strategy for getting it. Sink your teeth into that!"
― Christopher A. Fuchs, professor of physics, University of Massachusetts Boston
"This book is a must-read if you want to bring your understanding of ‘reality’ in sync with the way the World is. You are in for some major surprises and mind expanding. A good read that will set you thinking about yourself, others and the world."
― Jan Koenderink, author of Color for the Sciences
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company (August 13, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0393254690
- ISBN-13 : 978-0393254693
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.5 x 1 x 9.6 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #165,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #227 in Philosophy Metaphysics
- #491 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)
- #588 in Biology (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Donald D. Hoffman received a Ph.D. from MIT in 1983 and is a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. His research on perception, evolution, and consciousness received the Troland Award of the US National Academy of Sciences, the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution of the American Psychological Association, the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation, and is the subject of his TED Talk, titled “Do we see reality as it is?”
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book thought-provoking and an excellent exploration of objective reality. They describe it as a logical, mind-blowing read that encourages proper skepticism. However, opinions differ on the physics, with some finding it contemporary and well-received, while others feel it misrepresents quantum mechanics and the holographic principle.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They say it presents a refinement of concepts and an exploration of objective reality. The book provides a theory of why our model of reality is not necessarily correct. Readers appreciate the author's blend of philosophical prose and cognitive science take on consciousness and the nature of reality.
"I love this cognitive science take on consciousness and the nature of reality; how our perceptions are not accurate indicators of what's in the world..." Read more
"...since the author does make many good points and makes us think about reality in different ways." Read more
"Don Hoffman is brilliant, and his book has many interesting insights about perception...." Read more
"...his analysis of quantum theory and relativity, and found it wonderfully creative in how Hoffman employed ideas such as quantum entanglement and wave..." Read more
Customers find the book readable and thought-provoking. They say it's well-written and informative, with an interesting point that evolution has shaped us to detect what we can. The message is satisfying in its honesty in calling out the guilty and dispelling denial. While at times it reads comfortably for the layman, at others it's more academic.
"It is a good book." Read more
"...book 4 stars because as compelling as it is, at times it reads comfortably for the layman, at others it's more academic and some parts read rather..." Read more
"...Hoffman sums the book with an excellent chapter in which he present consciousness as the fundamental "source code" of our reality, and inverts the..." Read more
"...Otherwise, it was fairly tedious reading and I confess to skipping when the repetition of optical illusions got too thick...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the physics in the book. Some find it modern and interesting, while others say it misrepresents quantum mechanics and the holographic principle. The book attempts to challenge current theories but fails to offer new ones.
"...I SO appreciate that he caught up with modern physics and switched to using quantum theory rather than classical Newtonian materialistic physics...." Read more
"...The rest is dedicated to misrepresenting quantum mechanics and the holographic principle and drawing faintly ridiculous conclusions...." Read more
"...of smell, color, and taste; a mysterious mathematical proof; quantum physics (which challenges space and time)...." Read more
"...This is voodoo science." Read more
Reviews with images
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An interesting book that, most probably, is very, very wrong
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2020I come at this as someone whose spent a lot of time in different philosphic frames over the course of my life including traditional Catholic, agnostic, atheist, later ended up in a deep study of the various Hermetic diaspora after quite an accrual of things that I couldn't quite explain and noticing that I'm not the only person who's found the edges often and has been left with bigger questions. At the same time, for as interesting as the Neoplatonist ideas were it always seemed like the world was... more Darwinian at its core ethos to say the least, and I spent quite a while trying to tie together a) a non-physicalist POV that posits Darwinian evolution as a central governing theme of differential success and b) a theory that best approximates 'functionalism with multiple realizability'. As I looked at the behavior of the edge cases, whether in nature or some of the more substantial occult effects (egregores for example), even upward and downward causation in the body in cells or microorganisms - this pattern seemed to keep jumping out.
Previously I'd heard Hoffman and Prakash, the theory sounded interesting but it hadn't landed. What really changed that was when Donald Hoffman did get more granular in his description of how conscious agents meet, bridge, 'form' new conscious agents (although it seems just as likely 'hijack' ones that are already there), not only did he have the Darwinian component of this but this exact kind of webbing - ie. contracts on top of contracts and various level of binding - seems like the first granular explanation of functionalism with multiple realizability of this sort that I've seen.
The idea is that nature is a stack of conscious agents. Our minds are the apex of our own stack, there are structures above us either made of groups of human interactions (back to egregores), larger social movements, you see this in the strangeness of political movements, the 'Madness of Crowds' as Douglas Murray puts it, and I see where these ideas tie into some of what's been said lately about memetics and meme complexes having a way of hijacking people's thinking. I'm sure there will be plenty of debate as to how 'literally' to read this. One of the objections to functionalism with multiple realizability is that we'd see something like a China brain. This is where if you look at some of the woo that hits the public radar it actually finds a much more natural home in this context, particularly if you think of the sorts of Jacques Vallee-discussed manipulations of public consciousness through events that seem absurd but have a distinct impact. One could look at these sorts of communications as pragmatic in nature and perhaps be better read as something like neurons sending signals downward in a broader system rather than anything that's explicitly 'physical' trying to compare notes on culture and science.
Lots of speculation in this view and I'm sure that will get some amount of criticism. The main point of it though - I wanted to give a good example of how many places where I see this theory landing. There are now some similar theories emerging that take similar shots at this, ie. idealism-like or neutral monism-like ideas that don't posit a deity but rather more of a diffuse consciousness or awareness. I really think this is where we're heading. It seems like reductive materialism and physicalism have been great historically for giving us the discipline to go as far as we have with engineering, electronics, chemistry, physics, etc., the way Gallileo lined that up he helped us focus on what's respectively, against the back drop of the whole universe, the low-hanging fruit. The next step is to really look at complex systems further and see what additional potentials we can tap into.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2024The book is as described, in good condition. Delivered on time.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2020The negative reviews here are interesting. They have two flavors-- one is sheer incredulity, the other is obviously driven from lack of understanding.
As many have pointed out, the book is a modern restating of the Kantian position, with some more recent modern evidence and analogies to pain the picture. You will either approach this book already accepting the idea of the Interface, or not. If you do, you'll probably enjoy the heck out of the book, as he frames up this Interface idea in refreshing, easily digestible ways. If this is your first time really thinking about the Interface, you may be incredulous and find the book hard to swallow.
What's interesting is how the first 6 or so chapters can feel "revolutionary" but really are not. It should be plainly obvious that what we perceive cannot fundamentally be reality. We've always thought we were the center of the universe, and one of the last vestiges of that ideas is the belief that human perception of reality is the most accurate perception of reality. Absolutely no reason to think that is true, even if you never read Hoffman's book.
As others have mentioned, he stretches things with his quasi-pan-psychism idea at the end. BUT, be careful how you read these ideas. He is not saying he KNOWS this is the truth. He is positing a possibility; a search strategy. While the rest of science is looking at grey matter for consciousness, no one is seriously exploring the idea that consciousness is fundamental. It's like the old trope about the guy looking for his lost keys under a street lamp at night. A concerned passerby asks "did you lose them here?" "Well, no but this is the only place with a light." Hoffman is looking where there isn't a light, because everyone else is currently looking under the light and hasn't had any success.
Check out his interview with Sam and Anika Harris on Sam's Podcast.
Top reviews from other countries
- Lorraine S.Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Such an interesting and thought-provoking thesis
I just love this book. Hoffman makes us question what we take for granted - that what we perceive is the universe as it is. He argues that in fact, in order to stay alive long enough to reproduce - the point of evolution, after all - we unknowingly use short cuts - like icons on a desktop, to use Hoffman's analogy - to understand the world around us. But "reality"? Space-time, quantum physics, the Higgs field, whatever - there is a reality underlying these "icons" that we have no access to - at least not with today's science. I purchased this book over a year ago and find myself coming back to it time and again.
- ArticReviewed in Spain on September 6, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars yes but...
Better to read Rupert Spira's The Nature of Consciousness and Alessandro Sanna's The Direct Experience.
- Devdersh.sReviewed in India on April 16, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best book I have ever read.
Seriously changed my understanding of the world and its possibilities
- ChristianReviewed in Germany on December 10, 2024
2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting start, but drifting into pseudo-science
The first 7 chapters document some scientific concepts about what consciousness fundamentally is. This part seems well documented and soundly sourced. Hoffmann also brings in his own thinking concepts, such as FBT (Fitness Beats Truth) and ITP (Interface Theory of Perception). In brief: Evolution has NOT equipped its creatures with sensory organs to perceive reality, but to assure survival and procreation. ITP explains that biological creatures perceive only symbols or pointers to reality, not the reality itself. Both principles are pretty obvious, though sometimes ignored in human thinking.
Chapters 8-9 are a complete anticlimax: Human perception biases, and optical illusions, that are also (mis-)used in marketing. The author even admits he counselled marketing agencies in this field. Welcome back down to the earth…
The final and lengthy chapter 10 about the "the network of conscious agents" theory is a desperate attempt to clear the way to ultimately explain the universe (including its origin, origin of life and consciousness, religions, God and - … everything we never dared asking…). Pseudo-scientific approaches go wild. Intellectual shortcuts proliferate. Virtual reality in gaming, aliens and cryptocurrencies appear alongside quantum theory, Darwinian evolution and neuropsychological concepts of consciousness. All this is fed into an intellectual food processor, making us believe that the outcome must be healthy, because the ingredients were genuine…
Serious scientists explicitly warn about intellectual shortcuts, e.g. finding parallels between quantum mechanics and human perception: These connections, however interesting and seemingly plausible, are fundamentally WRONG. Other examples in Hoffmann's book: Darwinian evolution as a general principle of reality, applicable also to cosmological and cultural evolution ??? Or: Twin Quasars, seen as one or two, according to observation methods, depicted by Hoffmann as a cosmological implementation of the Delayed Choice Quantum eraser Experiment ???
Instead of admitting "we cannot know", as serious scientists do, Hoffmann drifts into pseudo-scientific waters, no better than Helena Blavatsky a century before. - I wish he had observed Wittgenstein's citation which leads into his final chapter: "…whereof one cannot speak thereof one must be silent."
- Jayachandran ThampiReviewed in India on July 24, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Detailed exploration and linked well....