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Understanding the Higher-Order Approach to Consciousness.
Richard Brown1, Hakwan Lau2, Joseph E LeDoux3
1Philosophy Program LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York, Long Island City, NY, USA.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|August 4, 2019
Summary
The higher-order theory (HOT) of consciousness clarifies its position, distinguishing itself from global workspace theory (GWT). This framework better explains complex experiences and mental states.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Mind
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Higher-order theory (HOT) of consciousness faces criticism for overintellectualization.
- Distinguishing HOT from global workspace theory (GWT) and early sensory models is crucial.
- Clarifying misconceptions about HOT's stance on metacognition and confidence is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the position of higher-order theory (HOT) of consciousness.
- To differentiate HOT from competing theories like GWT and early sensory models.
- To demonstrate HOT's utility in explaining complex mental states and pathological conditions.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis and theoretical comparison.
- Distinguishing HOT from GWT and first-order sensory theories.
- Evaluating HOT's explanatory power for emotions and episodic memories.
Main Results:
- Cognitive assembly requirements for higher-order states are less than presumed.
- HOT occupies an intermediate position between GWT and early sensory views.
- HOT provides a robust framework for understanding complex experiences and pathological mental states.
Conclusions:
- Higher-order theory (HOT) is a nuanced framework for consciousness.
- HOT offers advantages over GWT and sensory models for explaining subjective experiences.
- HOT is valuable for conceptualizing pathological mental states.
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