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Comparative psychology without consciousness.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

If global workspace theory is correct and reductive, we should stop asking about animal consciousness. This is because phenomenal consciousness is all-or-nothing, not a matter of degree across species.

Keywords:
Access consciousnessAnimal consciousnessDegrees of consciousnessGlobal workspaceHard problemPhenomenal consciousness

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Philosophy of Mind
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Global Workspace Theory (GWT) offers a framework for understanding consciousness.
  • The reductive nature of GWT has implications for its application across species.
  • Current concepts of phenomenal consciousness are often considered binary.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the implications of a reductive Global Workspace Theory for the study of nonhuman animal consciousness.
  • To argue that if GWT is correct and reductive, questions about animal consciousness may be ill-posed.
  • To explore the conceptual tension between GWT's broadcasting mechanism and the nature of phenomenal consciousness.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical argumentation
  • Conceptual analysis
  • Review of Global Workspace Theory principles
  • Examination of the concept of phenomenal consciousness

Main Results:

  • A conditional argument is presented: a reductive GWT implies we should cease investigating animal consciousness.
  • The argument highlights a conflict: GWT's broadcasting model suggests gradations across species, while phenomenal consciousness is typically viewed as an all-or-nothing state.
  • The paper argues that the concept of phenomenal consciousness does not allow for degrees.

Conclusions:

  • A fully reductive Global Workspace Theory, if correct, challenges the meaningfulness of studying consciousness in nonhuman animals.
  • The findings suggest a need to reconcile the mechanisms of consciousness with our conceptual understanding of subjective experience.
  • Further philosophical and theoretical work is needed to address the implications of GWT for comparative consciousness studies.