Awareness may be existence as well as (higher-order) thought
Behavioral and Brain Sciences April 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00452428 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that consciousness constructs goals and plans, alters valence, registers errors, explores unexpected circumstances, and ontologically confers discriminable object status on aspects of being. |
Abstract
Rolls attributes to consciousness the functions of reflection, planning, and error-correction. Neuropsychologically grounded cybernetic theory provides an analogous, broader conceptualization: consciousness constructs goals (and plans), alters the valence of goal-related phenomena, registers error-signals, and explores unexpected circumstances (reconfiguring goals and plans as necessary). Consciousness plays a fundamental unrecognized ontological role, as well, conferring the status of “discriminable object” on select aspects of otherwise indeterminate “being.”