The Stream of Consciousness: XI. A Critique of James's Appendage Theory of Consciousness (Second Part)
Imagination, Cognition and Personality September 1, 1996 DOI: 10.2190/kcud-fdnm-rdyv-hbn1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 9 |
| Key points | The author examines William James's account of inner awareness, distinguishing appendage theories, which require a distinct mental-occurrence instance directed at the conscious instance, from intrinsic theories, which hold that each conscious mental-occurrence instance includes awareness of itself. The author argues that on James's account the total brain process normally produces a mental-occurrence instance and often a further stream component that gives immediate awareness of the first. |
Abstract
In this two-part article, I discuss William James's account of inner awareness as it is expressed in The Principles of Psychology. Inner awareness is the immediate awareness which we all have of some of our own mental-occurrence instances. An essential part of what it is for a mental-occurrence instance to be conscious, or to be a state of consciousness, is an actual or potential immediate awareness of it. Appendage theories hold that inner awareness requires a distinct mental-occurrence instance that has the respective conscious mental-occurrence instance as its object. Intrinsic theories argue that every conscious mental-occurrence instance includes, in its own structure, awareness of itself. On James's account, it is the total brain process that normally brings into existence any mental-occurrence instance, or basic durational component of the stream of consciousness. And then, this brain process often produces a further component of the stream that gives immediate awareness of the first component.
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- The Stream of Consciousness: XXV. Awareness as Commentary (Part I) Imagination, Cognition and Personality June 1, 2002
- The Stream of Consciousness: XXIII. James Contra the Intellectualists (First Part) Imagination, Cognition and Personality June 1, 2001
- The Stream of Consciousness: XXII. Apprehension and the Feeling Aspect Imagination, Cognition and Personality March 1, 2001
- The Stream of Consciousness: XXI. Blindsight and States of Consciousness Imagination, Cognition and Personality September 1, 2000
- The Stream of Consciousness: XX: A Non-Egological Conception Imagination, Cognition and Personality September 1, 1999
and 3 more in the library
Cites 7
- What is wrong with appendage theory of consciousness Philosophical Psychology 1993
- Higher‐order thoughts and the appendage theory of consciousness Philosophical Psychology 1993
- The Stream of Consciousness: V. William James's Change of View Imagination, Cognition and Personality June 1, 1994
- The Stream of Consciousness: X. A Critique of James's Appendage Theory of Consciousness (First Part) Imagination, Cognition and Personality June 1, 1996
- The Stream of Consciousness: IX. James's Ejective Consciousness (Second Part) Imagination, Cognition and Personality October 1, 1995
and 2 more in the library