ipl-logo

Hard Problem Of Consciousness Essay

774 Words4 Pages

Does hard problem of consciousness exist?
When we think of consciousness, we think of the awareness of our individual thoughts, memories, feelings, sensation, and the surrounding environment. Consciousness is a very important part of us, yet it is also one of the most complex parts. Consciousness is something we experience constantly, yet we are not able to measure it, and do not have enough words to describe it. We are aware of its existence, but cannot physically hold it within our grasp. Despite the different definitions from several branches of science, consciousness is so abstract that the many experts of each science have a hard time finding the appropriate terms to describe it. This is part of the problem of consciousness David Chalmers discusses in his paper, Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness. Chalmers coined the term “hard problem of consciousness” in 1994. The hard problem of …show more content…

Like he mentions in his paper, science can only explain the questions how the functions of the brain correlates with consciousness and what parts of the brains produce that function, but not the question of why. Chalmers argument of the hard problem of consciousness acknowledges that there are some questions being left unanswered by current science. A scientist can ask “when" and "where" does consciousness appear, but these are questions that can be answered locating the certain functions and processes that occur in the brain. Scientist studying the brain can study the certain parts of the brain that correlate with consciousness, but are not able to study consciousness directly. These are part of the “easy problem” of consciousness since it involves the functions. It is possible that the brain can produce consciousness. It is a possibility; however, the question of the hard problem is what consciousness is, and why does it exists with subjective

Show More
Related
423 Words | 2 Pages

Ahmose-Nefertari was a powerful queen and religious leader who lived during the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt, around 1550-1530 BCE. She was the first consort of Pharaoh Ahmose I, who founded the 18th dynasty and reunited Egypt after the expulsion of the Hyksos invaders. Ahmose-Nefertari was also the mother of Pharaoh Amenhotep I, who succeeded his father as ruler of Egypt. Ahmose-Nefertari was known for her religious piety and her role in promoting the cult of the god Amun, who was the patron deity of the 18th dynasty.

Read More
1139 Words | 5 Pages

James Watson once said, “The brain is the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe”. It is responsible for every single movement in our body; from thinking, learning, breathing, creating memories and more. But the brain is not always perfect. We all have occasional “brain farts” or misperceptions of the world around us. Sometimes we believe that we have experienced vivid moments that we have never actually been through.

Read More
192 Words | 1 Pages

This quote that I will be analyzing and explaining why it is the key quote that represents the thesis of Nagel. Nagel’s main goal is to define consciousness and refute any reductive approach to consciousness. Nagel claims that consciousness is the reason why the mind-body problem is so difficult. Consciously being aware and cognizant is unexplainable because it is hard to reduce down to a single entity. The chosen quote is essentially saying that all organisms have conscious states and in order to truly be that organism or understand, you must understand their consciousness while still maintaining your own consciousness.

Read More
355 Words | 2 Pages

Before Leonards awakening, the film portrays Dr. Sayer as a socially awkward and submissive man as a result from the way he carries himself and his interaction with others. The awakening of Leonard brings wonderful change into Dr.Sayers daily routine. This grand impact continues on even after Leonard had return to his coma like state. A remarkable change that Dr. Sayer experiences was the built of courage. The conclusion of the movie shows Dr. Sayer having the urge to ask eleanor if she wanted “to go for a cup of coffee.”

Read More
1313 Words | 6 Pages

In 1903 Profound sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor W.E.B DuBois once proclaimed the biggest problem of the twentieth century was the problem of the color line in his critically acclaimed book The Souls of Black Folk Dubois dissects several themes as it relates to the Negro position in America. Although what DuBois describes as the “color line” was not the only problem that pervaded during his time and beyond in The Souls of Black Flock DuBois promotes the following ideas of slavery vs freedom, education, exclusion vs belonging, and material vs. psychological Racism as pivotal themes thought the book. Over the course of the book, DuBois coins the following terms “Double Consciousness” and

Read More
1476 Words | 6 Pages

However, advancements in the field made it possible to better understand that not only was psychology more complex than concepts of consciousness, but also that there were many other mental aspects at play. Consciousness has since been redefined to express the idea of awareness – both of personal being and the environment that exists around it. It is through cognitive neuroscience, which is the study of the brain in relation to its mental processes, that scientists can better understand the level of consciousness. Knowing how the body reacts at various levels, what human control exists in each and how they contribute to the activities of the brain can likely explain a lot about human behavior. Within cognitive neuroscience, the latest research is able to the show the ways in which brain activity centered on imagined thoughts, personal ideals and concepts and the inner working of this organ direct behavior among individuals of varying backgrounds and physical

Read More
1416 Words | 6 Pages

It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, —an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. Yellow book p.3 - W. E. B. DuBois William DuBois an African American scholar have coined a concept of double consciousness to describe a sensation that colored people have developed throughout years. According to DuBois, African Americans are somehow endowed with a skill that lets them view themselves from other, usually, white perspective. He argues that African Americans struggled with multi- faceted conception of self.

Read More
870 Words | 4 Pages

1. Professor Dennett does not believe in the "hard" problem of consciousness as he believes that any aspect of it that is based in reality will have a scientific basis. The issue is that many people see the aspects of consciousness that there is a scientific basis as not real consciousness; which can actually be seen in the comments on that very video. As different pieces of consciousness become explainable, the definition in people's minds seems to change. I agree with him in the fact that the hard problem of consciousness does not exist.

Read More
233 Words | 1 Pages

Cleanthes argues that animals must have consciousness because they are built from the same complex and perfect systems that human beings are built from. He cannot accept that minds so similar to our own cannot be as “complex and purposeful” (pg. 2). Philo refutes Cleanthes’ argument with three points. First of all, Philo says “nature is not perfect, and is often defective, or excessive (pg.2)”. We need rain, but too much rain causes floods, which causes destruction.

Read More
522 Words | 3 Pages

Le Guin’s “The Wave in the Mind” relates particularly to Marie de France’s “Bisclarvret” and “Yonec.” Both authors talk about oppression and the deep desire for freedom. Le Guins states he “categorically judge[s] as wrong any person who considers himself or herself racially or socially superior to another or enforces inferior status on another” (212). Similarly, on “Yonec” de France takes a position of opposition to seigneur of Carwent. This seigneur was honored in his city and therefore felt that he was superior to the young girl (91), enforcing her status of inferiority he obligated her to do whatever pleased him and she was imprisoned.

Read More
1919 Words | 8 Pages

Conclusion: The mind is substantively different from the body and indeed matter in general. Because in this conception the mind is substantively distinct from the body it becomes plausible for us to doubt the intuitive connection between mind and body. Indeed there are many aspects of the external world that do not appear to have minds and yet appear none the less real in spite of this for example mountains, sticks or lamps, given this we can begin to rationalize that perhaps minds can exist without bodies, and we only lack the capacity to perceive them.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

Being that the mind is physical, there must be some aspects of consciousness that can be reduced. The reducible qualities of consciousness include the functional aspects of the brain—behavior, information processing, reaction to stimuli, etc. On the other hand, there is the subjective experience that arises from these physical processes. Can the subjective part of consciousness be explained by physical processes? I do not think that is possible.

Read More
1457 Words | 6 Pages

What is the Mind? Introduction To try and explore the ‘mind’ it is necessary to examine if the mind and the brain are separate or if the mind and body are distinct from one another? Is the mind and body separate substance or elements of the same substance? Is consciousness the result of the mechanisms of the brain, wholly separate from the brain or inextricably linked?

Read More
1155 Words | 5 Pages

but it is plausible to address it and perceive it as something that now lies beyond our empirical knowledge and

Read More
812 Words | 4 Pages

In this essay I will write about the strengths and weaknesses of perception as a way of knowing. Perception is the way we perceive the world through our senses. We use all five of our senses, which are sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch to understand the world and interpret it. We can then say it’s a Primary way of knowledge. We can also say that, because the senses is the way our body communicates, we have at least three more senses: kinesthetic sense, which is our awareness of our body’s dimensions and movement; vestibular sense, which is the awareness of the human’s balance and spacial orientation; and organic sense, which is the manifest of the internal organs (for example, hunger or thirst).

Read More

More about Hard Problem Of Consciousness Essay

Related Topics

Open Document