Representation and Extension in Consciousness Studies
Avant April 6, 2018 Zsuzsanna Kondor
Some theories hold that conscious phenomena arise solely from brain activity, while others see them as emerging from the interaction between embodied agents and their environment. This paper examines whether these divergent views apply at different scales, as in physics, or can be reconciled. By analyzing how the term "representation" is used, the author suggests it may help bridge the gap between these poles over the long term. The argument draws on philosophical insights from Descartes, James, Wittgenstein, and Merleau-Ponty, as well as global workspace theory and embodied and enacted cognition. The author proposes that a broader investigative horizon will reduce ambiguity around the concept of representation.