The Conscious Theory of Higher-Orderness
September 17, 2024 DOI: 10.1093/9780198924159.003.0012 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA philosophical chapter distinguishes two claims often conflated in debates about higher-order theories of consciousness: (i) that for any conscious mental state, the subject is aware of it (Necessary Awareness), and (ii) that the mental state is conscious because the subject is aware of it (Higher-Order Theory). The authors assume the first claim is true but argue against the second, proposing instead an inverted theory they call 'The Ascending Road': for any conscious mental state, the subject is aware of it because the mental state is conscious.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Subject documents Consciousness Mental state Order exchange State computer science |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key finding | Argues that higher-order theories of consciousness should be rejected in favor of 'The Ascending Road', which holds that awareness of a mental state arises because that state is conscious, not the reverse. |
Abstract
Abstract The massive debate in philosophy and psychology and neuroscience about higher-order theories of consciousness has not adequately distinguished between the following two claims: (i) (Necessary Awareness): For any conscious mental state M and subject S, if S is in M, then S is aware of M; and (ii) (The Higher-Order Theory): For any conscious mental state M and subject S, if S is in M, then M is conscious because S is aware of M. While the chapter will assume that the first claim is true, it will argue that we should reject higher-order theories of consciousness. We should turn them on their head to go with the following theory: (The Ascending Road): For any conscious mental state M and subject S, if S is in M, then S is aware of M because M is conscious.