Lesson 1 Flashcards
What is the academic definition of consciousness?
The state or quality of awareness, or of being aware of an external object or something within oneself, including sensations, thoughts, emotions, volitions, and introspective awareness.
What does phenomenal consciousness refer to?
The subjective character of experience; the ‘what it is like’ to experience something.
Define the operational definition of consciousness in scientific terms.
Any information-processing system with recursive access to its internal states and external inputs, capable of forming meta-representations.
List some real-life relevance aspects of consciousness.
- Self-awareness
- Decision-making
- Artificial Intelligence
- Neurosurgery & Psychology
What are some technological frontiers related to consciousness?
- Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)
- Consciousness detection in AI
- Consciousness preservation in cryonics
Describe the case of Locked-In Syndrome.
A patient can’t move or speak but is fully conscious, with fMRI evidence showing responses to internal commands.
What is the observation made in the case of dreaming vs. wakefulness?
Both states involve vivid experiences, but one is detached from sensory input.
What are the core dimensions of consciousness?
- Phenomenal Awareness
- Access Consciousness
- Self-Consciousness
- Introspective Awareness
What is the core idea of Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT)?
Consciousness arises when information is broadcast globally in the brain via high-level prefrontal-parietal networks.
What does Integrated Information Theory (IIT) propose about consciousness?
Consciousness is the capacity of a system to integrate information, quantified by Φ (phi).
What is dualism in philosophical positions?
The belief that mind and body are distinct entities.
Who are some key thinkers associated with physicalism?
- Dennett
- Churchland
What is panpsychism?
The belief that everything has proto-consciousness.
Describe the experiment of binocular rivalry.
Different images are shown to each eye, and the subject’s consciousness flips between images despite constant stimuli.
What does the mirror test assess in animals?
Self-awareness by determining if an animal recognizes a mark placed on its forehead.
What does the Chinese Room Argument illustrate?
Syntax does not equal semantics; an AI may simulate understanding without being conscious.
Summarize the key conclusion about consciousness.
Consciousness is multi-layered, may not depend on external behavior, enabled by brain mechanisms, and remains a debated topic.
What are the main philosophical positions on consciousness?
- Dualism
- Physicalism
- Panpsychism
- Functionalism
Fill in the blank: Consciousness includes _______ and self-reference.
[awareness]
What is the implication of consciousness not being tied to external behavior?
Consciousness can exist independently of observable actions, as seen in conditions like locked-in syndrome.
What are the two neural models discussed?
- Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT)
- Integrated Information Theory (IIT)
True or False: There is a consensus on what consciousness fundamentally is.
False
What can be analyzed in a neuroscience lab related to consciousness?
Neural correlates of consciousness using real EEG/fMRI data.
What philosophical analysis can be performed regarding consciousness?
Compare the Hard Problem (Chalmers) vs. Illusionism (Dennett).
