{"product_id":"9780691255408","title":"The Weirdness of the World","description":"Author: Eric Schwitzgebel\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9780691255408\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 01 Jan 2026\u003cbr\u003ePages: 376\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo we live inside a simulated reality or a pocket universe embedded in a larger structure about which we know virtually nothing? Is consciousness a purely physical matter, or might it require something extra, something nonphysical? According to the philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel, it's hard to say. In \u003ci\u003eThe Weirdness of the World\u003c\/i\u003e, Schwitzgebel argues that the answers to these fundamental questions lie beyond our powers of comprehension. We can be certain only that the truth  whatever it is  is weird. Philosophy, he proposes, can aim to open  to reveal possibilities we had not previously appreciated  or to close, to narrow down to the one correct theory of the phenomenon in question. Schwitzgebel argues for a philosophy that opens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Schwitzgebel's 'Universal Bizarreness' thesis, every possible theory of the relation of mind and cosmos defies common sense. According to his complementary 'Universal Dubiety' thesis, no general theory of the relationship between mind and cosmos compels rational belief. Might the United States be a conscious organism  a conscious group mind with approximately the intelligence of a rabbit? Might virtually every action we perform cause virtually every possible type of future event, echoing down through the infinite future of an infinite universe? What, if anything, is it like to be a garden snail? Schwitzgebel makes a persuasive case for the thrill of considering the most bizarre philosophical possibilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'[Schwitzgebel] leads readers down a fascinating rabbit hole of metaphysics, ontology, theories of causation, and the science of cognition...It's an exuberant look at some of life's biggest questions.' \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Delightful and beautifully written...If you have read and enjoyed the work of Nick Bostrom or Phillip Goff, then this book is definitely for you. It is brilliant, thought-provoking, and very enjoyable.'  Edouard Machery,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScience\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Entertaining.'  Andrew Robinson,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Schwitzgebel's combination of sharp intelligence and wonderment generates refreshingly humbling conclusions.'  Julian Baggini,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46803890929822,"sku":"ADS-9780691255408","price":34.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9780691255408.jpg?v=1778206853","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9780691255408","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}