Consciousness at the Crossroads

Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness.

• SOURCES:
  • Owen Flanagan, philosopher, neurobiologist, and professor emeritus at Duke University.

• RESOURCES:
  • What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025).
  • Consciousness Reconsidered, by Owen Flanagan (1993).
  • Against Happiness, by Owen Flanagan, Joseph E. LeDoux, Bobby Bingle, Daniel M. Haybron, Batja Mesquita, Michele Moody-Adams, Songyao Ren, Anna Sun, and Yolonda Y. Wilson. (2023).
  • The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism Naturalized, by Owen Flanagan (2013).
  • The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World, by Owen Flanagan (2009).
  • Big Book, by Alcoholics Anonymous.
  • "Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 Changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health," by Cristie Glasheen, Kathryn Batts, Rhonda Karg, Jonaki Bose, Sarra Hedden, and Kathryn Piscopo (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Professor Carl Hart Argues All Drugs Should Be Legal — Can He Convince Steve?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).
  • Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, by Carl Hart (2021).