A Critical Assessment of the Higher Order Thought Theory of Consciousness
University of Hertfordshire Research Archive May 28, 2014 Daniel James Woolley
David Rosenthal's higher-order thought (HOT) theory holds that a mental state becomes conscious when a subject has a higher-order thought about being in that state. This dissertation defends HOT theory against two contemporary alternatives: the wide intrinsicality view of Rocco Gennaro and the complex self-representationalism of Uriah Kriegel. The author argues that, despite objections from both philosophers, there is not enough reason to reject Rosenthal's original theory.