This new volume in the acclaimed Oxford Readings in Philosophy series offers a selection of the most important philosophical work being done in the new and fast-growing interdisciplinary area of artificial life. Artificial life research seeks to synthesize the characteristics of life by artificial means, particularly employing computer technology. The essays here explore such fascinating themes as the nature of life, the relation between life and mind, and the limits of technology. "Excellent....The anthology achieves a remarkable degree of coherence and unity by focusing on the concept of self-organization....This book will serve well both as an introduction for the sophisticated general reader and as a spur to further research in articial life."-- Choice Margaret A. Boden is Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Sussex (School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences).