Cudworthian Consciousness
Matthew A. Leisinger
Oxford Studies in Early Modern Philosophy, Volume XI November 17, 2022 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780192884749.003.0006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Cudworth distinguishes two kinds of consciousness in his freewill manuscripts: 'bare consciousness,' always directed toward individual cogitations, and 'reflective consciousness,' achieved through the soul's reflection on itself as a whole, which alone introduces unity into experience. |
Abstract
Abstract Ralph Cudworth’s The True Intellectual System of the Universe (1678) is credited with introducing the English word ‘consciousness’ into the philosophical lexicon. This chapter argues, however, that Cudworth distinguishes two kinds of consciousness in his (largely published) freewill manuscripts, which I term ‘bare consciousness’ and ‘reflective consciousness’. The difference is that, while each involves the soul’s reflection upon itself, Cudworth thinks that bare consciousness is always directed toward individual cogitations; reflective consciousness, by contrast, is the kind of consciousness that the soul achieves through reflection upon itself as a whole. Cudworth thus takes reflective consciousness to introduce a unity into our experience that is not present at the level of bare consciousness.