Does the Buddhist doctrine of non-self (anatta) provide a viable framework for understanding phenomenal consciousness within a physicalist worldview? Mark Siderits, a prominent scholar of Buddhist philosophy, examines the intersection of classical Indian Buddhist thought and contemporary analytic philosophy of mind. He argues that the reductionist approach inherent in Buddhist metaphysics offers a unique perspective on the 'hard problem' of consciousness, suggesting that the self is a conceptual construct rather than an ontological entity. By synthesizing these two disparate traditions, the text explores how the absence of a permanent self can be reconciled with the subjective experience of awareness.

Scholars and students of comparative philosophy frequently cite this work as a rigorous bridge between classical Buddhist texts and contemporary analytic discourse. Readers often note the high level of technical precision required to follow the author's arguments regarding reductionism and mental phenomena.