The ghost in the machine
Arthur Koestler
Reading Time
at 250 WPM6h 40m
The average reader, reading at a speed of 250 WPM, would take 6h 40m to read The ghost in the machine.
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14
days at 30 min/day
400
total minutes
The ghost in the machine
Published
Oct 05, 1982
Publisher
One 70 Press
Pages
400
ISBN-13
9781939438348
ISBN-10
1939438349
Description
The Ghost in the Machine is a work in philosophical psychology published in 1967. The title is a phrase coined by the Oxford philosopher Gilbert Ryle to describe the Cartesian dualist account of the mind–body relationship. Koestler shares with Ryle the view that the mind of a person is not an independent non-material entity, temporarily inhabiting and governing the body. One of the book's central concepts is that as the human brain evolved, it retained and built upon earlier, more primitive brain structures. The work attempts to explain humanity's tendency towards self-destruction in terms of brain structure, philosophies, and its overarching, cyclical political–historical dynamics, reaching the height of its potential in the nuclear arms arena. Note: Although he appropriated Ryle's phrase for his title and shared some of his views, Koestler had a pretty low opinion of Ryle himself -- he dismissed him as a 'snickering' Oxford don with no knowledge of any of the sciences that would have given his ideas more weight. Ryle nevertheless had the philosopher's gift for analogy, and used a number of metaphors for the mind-body problem, all of which could have supplied titles: they included 'the sealed signal box', 'the two parallel theatres' and 'the horse in the locomotive'.
Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pages are in The ghost in the machine?
This edition of The ghost in the machine has approximately 400 pages. Please note, this is an estimate and the exact page count can vary between hardcover, paperback, and e-book versions.
How long does it take to read The ghost in the machine?
For most readers, The ghost in the machine typically takes between 8h 20m and 5h 33m to complete. This is based on the book's length of approximately 100,000 words and common reading speeds.
Here's a detailed breakdown: • Continuous reading at 250 WPM: approximately 6h 40m of focused reading • Casual reading (30 minutes/day): you could finish in roughly 14 days • Estimated word count: 100,000 words
Your individual reading time will vary based on your personal reading pace, the amount of daily reading time, and your familiarity with the subject matter.
What is the word count of The ghost in the machine?
The estimated word count for The ghost in the machine is approximately 100,000 words. This figure is calculated using industry-standard methods that consider genre-specific word density patterns, typical formatting and layout characteristics, and standard words-per-page ratios for published books.
This is an approximation — actual word count may vary based on font size, formatting, edition, and the presence of illustrations or charts.
Who is the author of The ghost in the machine?
The ghost in the machine was written by Arthur Koestler.
When was The ghost in the machine published?
The publication date for this specific edition is Oct 05, 1982. The original work may have been published on a different date.