Caging the Beast: A Theory of Sensory ConsciousnessA major obstacle for materialist theories of the mind is the problem of sensory consciousness. How could a physical brain produce conscious sensory states that exhibit the rich and luxurious qualities of red velvet, a Mozart concerto or fresh-brewed coffee? Caging the Beast: A Theory of Sensory Consciousness offers to explain what these conscious sensory states have in common, by virtue of being conscious as opposed to unconscious states. After arguing against accounts of consciousness in terms of higher-order representation of mental states, the theory claims that sensory consciousness is a special way we have of representing the world. The book also introduces a way of thinking about subjectivity as separate and more fundamental than consciousness, and considers how this foundational notion can be developed into more elaborate varieties. An appendix reviews the connection between consciousness and attention with an eye toward providing a neuropsychological instantiation of the proposed theory. (Series A) |
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ability able according action activity answer appear argue argument Armstrong attention aware become Betsy brain Chapter claim cognitive concepts conscious sensory consider coordinated creature Dennett described determine difference distinction distinguish Dretske example experience explain external fact function hand higher-order perception higher-order theory higher-order thought higher-order thought theory idea identify inner sense internal introspective involved look Lycan means mechanism memory mental mind mystery nature necessary noted object occurs one's particular perception person physical point of view possible present problem processing produced propose qualitative character question reason refer relation represent response Rosenthal scious second sense seems selection sensation sense theory sensory consciousness sensory representations similar simply sort specific stimuli structure subjectivity sufficient suggest task theorists thimble things tion transitively conscious Type unconscious unconscious sensory virtue visual
Bibliographic information
| Title | Caging the Beast: A Theory of Sensory Consciousness Volume 51 of Advances in consciousness research |
| Author | Paula Droege |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | John Benjamins Publishing, 2003 |
| ISBN | 9027251827, 9789027251824 |
| Length | 181 pages |
| Subjects | › Psychology / Cognitive Psychology |
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