Task 2 - Consciousness

Question 1

What is the definition of Consciousness?

Answer 1

• the having of perceptions, thoughts, and feelings; awareness
• central to C is experience
• subjective quality of experience
• inner life of the mind

Question 2

What does the Surprise Principle say?

Answer 2

If all we knew about were the facts of physics, and even the facts about dynamics and information-processing in complex systems, then the existence of conscious experience would come as a surprise to us

Question 3

Where does C originate?

Answer 3

Many believe it arises from physical systems in the brain

Question 4

What is phenomenal concept of mind also called?

Answer 4

“experience”, “qualia”, “phenomenology”, “phenomenal”, “subjective experience”, and “what it is like”

Question 5

What is the phenomenal concept of mind?

Answer 5

• they way it (C) feels

- like “sensation”

Question 6

What are phenomenal conscious experiences?

Answer 6

visual experiences, auditory experiences, tactile, olfactory experiences, taste experiences, experiences of hot and cold, pain, other bodily sensations (e.g. orgasm), mental imagery, conscious thought, emotions, sense of self

Question 7

What is the psychological concept of mind?

Answer 7

• concept of mind as the causal or explanatory basis for behavior
• what C does
• like “perception”
• gives link to behaviour/ response

Question 8

What does double life of mental terms mean?

Answer 8

phenomenal vs psychological concept of mind

Question 9

What is deflation?

Answer 9

explanation for your thoughts and actions but no conscious experience -> doesn’t have to be unconscious

• statement
• blind person says snow is white-> purely psychological

Question 10

What is inflation?

Answer 10

• conscious experience required
• phenomenal/ mental C/ experience
• e.g. if I (as a nonblind person) that snow is white

Question 11

What about phenomenal pain when psychological pain is present?

Answer 11

when psychological pain is present, phenomenal pain is usually also present

Question 12

What is psychological C?

Answer 12

psychological properties e.g. reportability, introspective accessibility of information

Question 13

What are varieties of psychological C?

Answer 13

• Awakeness
• Introspection
• Reportability
• Self- consciousness
• Attention
• Voluntary control
• Knowledge
• Awareness
• —> largely functional notions

Question 14

How are awareness, consciousness and experience related to each other?

Answer 14

Experience:

• -> phenomenal: consciousness
• -> psychological: awareness

Question 15

Are C and awareness always accompanied by each other?

Answer 15

C is always accompanied by awareness, but awareness is not necessarily accompanied by C e.g. animals are aware because they respond to their environment

Question 16

What is the ‘hard problem’? And which mind body problem does it result in?
- Can it be solved?

Answer 16

How could a physical system give rise to conscious experience? -> phenomenal mind- body problem
-impossible to solve

Question 17

What is the ‘easy problem’? And which mind body problem does it result in?

-Can it be solved?

Answer 17

Why and how are these psychological properties accompanied by phenomenal properties? Why is all the stimulation and reaction associated with pain accompanied by the experience of pain? –> psychological mind- mind problem
-can be solved

Question 18

What are philosophical zombies?

Answer 18

• a being with no inner conscious life
• psychological C without phenomenal C
• e.g. deflationary concept of belief

Question 19

What does the logic of philosophical zombies support?

Answer 19

Dualism (Mind and Body are separated)

Question 20

How are the different variables of psychological C and awareness related to each other?

Answer 20

All varieties of psychological C have some awareness (awakeness, introspection etc)