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1Program in Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psychology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA. dro@ruccs.rutgers.edu
Consciousness and Cognition
|December 10, 2002
Summary
Ned Block's widely accepted consciousness distinctions are untenable. The paper argues that phenomenal consciousness is ambiguous, requiring a re-evaluation of access consciousness and paving the way for higher-order-thought models.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Ned Block's distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness is foundational in consciousness studies.
- This distinction, along with phenomenal and reflexive consciousness, contains unstated theoretical assumptions.
- These assumptions may favor certain theoretical approaches to consciousness over others.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate Ned Block's distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness.
- To demonstrate that Block's distinctions are untenable and based on ambiguous concepts.
- To propose an alternative framework for understanding consciousness.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of Block's distinctions.
- Examination of the properties defining phenomenal and access consciousness.
- Argumentation based on logical coherence and theoretical implications.
Main Results:
- Block's distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness is fundamentally flawed and untenable.
- The concept of access consciousness, as defined by Block, does not accurately capture a state of being conscious.
- Block's notion of phenomenal consciousness is ambiguous, conflating two distinct mental properties.
Conclusions:
- The distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness, as formulated by Block, is untenable.
- Resolving the ambiguity in phenomenal consciousness is crucial for theoretical progress.
- The higher-order-thought hypothesis offers a viable model for explaining qualitative consciousness once phenomenality is clarified.
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