Is Global Workspace a Cartesian Theater? How the Neuro-Astroglial Interaction Model Solves Conceptual Issues
December 31, 2013 Samuel C. Bellini-Leite, Alfredo Pereira
The Global Workspace Theory (GWT) and Daniel Dennett's Multiple Drafts Model (MDM) are both influential cognitive theories of consciousness, but their compatibility is uncertain. This work examines whether GWT falls prey to Dennett's criticism of a 'Cartesian Theater'—a metaphorical central stage where conscious experience supposedly occurs. Ten requirements for avoiding the Cartesian Theater are identified from Dennett's writings. GWT violates some but not all of these requirements, indicating only partial incompatibility with MDM. The question of whether GWT is a Cartesian Theater is therefore nonsensical. The analysis reveals that the debate involves fuzzy claims about degrees of consciousness, and the Neuro-Astroglial Interaction Model (NAIM) is proposed as a solution to these conceptual issues.