Abstract Two problems related to the identification of consciousness are the distribution problem—or how and among which entities consciousness is distributed in the world—and the moral status problem—or which species, entities, and individuals have moral status. The use of inferences from neurobiological and behavioral evidence, and their confounds, for identifying consciousness in...
Abstract The Consciousness Criterion is the claim that moral status requires consciousness, or that being conscious is a necessary condition for being a person. The idea that consciousness imbues an entity with special value, or moral status, is widely accepted in Western cultures. So much so that it is hardly questioned. It should be questioned. This chapter shows that the Consciousness...