TASK 2 - PROBLEMS + CONCEPTS Flashcards
easy problem of consciousness
1) how the brain processes environmental stimulation
2) how the brain integrates information
3) how we produce reports on internal states
hard problem of consciousness
- why processing is accompanied by an experienced inner life
- standard methods of neuroscience and cognitive science do not work
- Chalmers obeys constraints:
1) taking the problem of consciousness seriously: (1) assuming that consciousness exists, (2) not redefining the problem by explaining how certain cognitive or behavioural functions are performed
2) taking science seriously: ideas compatible to contemporary science; not trying to dispute scientific theories in domains where they have authority
3) taking consciousness to be a natural phenomenon: falls under the sway of natural laws
consciousness
- experience is central to consciousness –> everyone has conscious experiences of their own
- ambiguous term: refers to a number of phenomena
1) Cognitive capacity (the ability to introspect or to report one’s mental states)
2) awakeness
3) ability to focus attention, 4) ability to voluntarily control behaviour - subjective matter of consciousness = subjective quality of experience
conscious experience
= internal aspect of our perceptions, actions, thoughts = phenomenal qualities
- when a bing is conscious, we say there is something it is like to be that being
- -> e.g. mental state: is conscious, if there is something it is like to be in that mental state
- this suggest that there is a qualitative feel/quality of experience
targets of explanation
- conscious experience
- existence of consciousness:
- why does conscious experience exist; how does it arise from physical systems; is it physical or accompanying physical systems - character of consciousness:
- why are individual experiences of particular nature; why is the experience one way and not another
aspects
- conscious experience
- visual/auditory/tactile/olfactory/ taste experiences
- pain
- mental imagery, conscious thought
- emotion
- sense of self
theory of consciousness
- should give conditions which physical processes give rise to consciousness
- should specify what sort of experience is associated with these processes
- explain how consciousness arises
- see consciousness as integral part of natural world
phenomenal concept of mind
= mind as conscious experience; what it feels
- first-person aspects
psychological concept of mind
= causal/explanatory basis for behaviour; what it does
- matters little whether mental state has conscious quality or not
- third-person aspects
history
1) Descartes
= mind is transparent to itself
- -> phenomenal
- every event in the mind is content of experience
- -> error of assimilating the psychological to phenomenal
history
2) Wundt + James
- introspection to investigate causes of behaviour
- psychological theories based on introspection
- -> phenomenal
history
3) Freud
- unconscious activities
- -> non-phenomenal
- mentality is independent of phenomenal notions: accessibility to consciousness is not essential to state’s relevance in explanation of behaviour
history
4) behaviourism
= behaviour is a reflex to environmental stimuli or a consequence of individual’s history
–> psychological
history
5) cognitive science
= mind as internal basis of behaviour
- explanation of behaviour is not dependent on phenomenal notions
philosophical history
1) Ryle
= all mental concepts can be analysed in terms of certain kinds of associated behaviours
- dispositions to behave in certain ways
- -> psychological
philosophical history
2) functionalism
= made mental states internal and standing in correct causal relation to behaviour
- mental state is defined wholly by its causal role
1) stimulation that produce it
2) behaviour it produces
3) how it interacts with other mental states - reasonable construal for many mental concepts –> BUT applied to all mental concepts
- -> error of assimilating phenomenal to psychological
double life of mental terms
- mental property is either phenomenal, psychological pr combination
- mental concepts have psychological + phenomenal components –> some lean towards one end
- whenever phenomenal property observed, needs to be communicated by psychological state
- -> sort of conscious experience that accompanies psychological property
mind-body problem
= debate concerning the relationship between consciousness in the human MIND, and the brain as part of the physical BODY
mind-body problem
1. easy part
= PSYCHOLOGICAL aspects
- organisation of the physical system (reacting to environmental stimulation) + produce behaviour
- -> DISSOLVED: smaller technical problems to science remain; no metaphysical problems
mind-body problem
2. hard part
= PHENOMENAL aspects
- how and why cognitive functioning is accompanied by conscious experience
- -> residue of mind-mind problem: link between psychological and phenomenal mind is not yet understood
psychological consciousness
= psychological properties of consciousness; repeatability and introspective accessibility of info
- psychological notions are also associated with phenomenal states
psychological notions of consciousness
1. awakeness
= not asleep = conscious
- ability to process info about world and deal with it in rational fashion
psychological notions of consciousness
2. introspection
= process by which we can become aware of the contents of our internal states
- analysed by rational processes being sensitive to info about one’s internal states + one being able to use this info
psychological notions of consciousness
3. reportability
= report of mental states
- presupposes ability to introspect + capacity of language
psychological notions of consciousness
4. self-consciousness
= think about ourselves, awareness of our existence as individuals distinctiveness from others
- analysed by possession of representation associated with myself
- limited to humans (few animal species)
psychological notions of consciousness
5. attention
= pay attention to something = conscious
- can be phenomenally conscious of something without attending to it
psychological notions of consciousness
6. voluntary control
= act is performed deliberately = conscious (behavioural act)
psychological notions of consciousness
7. knowledge
= know the fact = conscious of fact
phenomenal consciousness
= phenomenal properties of consciousness; observing some phenomenal quality
- awareness: psychological property associated with phenomenal consciousness
- whenever there is phenomenal consciousness, there seems to be awareness
- -> consciousness is always accompanied by awareness, but awareness need not be accompanied by consciousness –> somebody can be aware of a fact without any particular conscious experience
- POSES MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM
awareness
= state where we have access to some info + use this Information in the control of behaviour
- psychological property associated with phenomenal consciousness
- awareness of info brings ability to direct behaviour depending on info (psychological)
- encapsulates psychological notions: introspection, attention, self-consciousness, voluntary control, awakeness
- poses FEW metaphysical problems
