Lajos L. Brons

The Problem of the Rock and the Grammar of Consciousness

Disputatio May 1, 2017 Lajos L. Brons

The 'Problem of the Rock' (PoR) is a well-known objection to Higher-Order (HO) theories of consciousness, which hold that a mental state is conscious only when accompanied by a higher-order mental state about it. The objection claims that this view would also imply a rock is conscious if a higher-order mental state were directed at it. This paper argues that the objection confuses two grammatically distinct ways of attributing consciousness. Once this equivocation fallacy is avoided, the Problem of the Rock either misrepresents HO theories or yields a conclusion that is not actually problematic.