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Full Idea
Consciousness is neither a thing, nor a simple property. ..The conscious 'dynamic core' of the brain is a process, not a thing or a place, and is defined in terms of neural interactions, not in terms of neural locations, connectivity or activity.
Gist of Idea
Consciousness is a process (of neural interactions), not a location, thing, property, connectivity, or activity
Source
G Edelman / G Tononi (Consciousness: matter becomes imagination [2000], Ch.12)
Book Ref
Edelman,G/Tononi,G: 'Consciousness: how matter becomes imagination' [Penguin 2000], p.144
A Reaction
This must be of great interest to philosophers. Edelman is adamant that it is not any specific neurons. The nice question is: what would it be like to have your brain slowed down? Presumably we would experience steps in the process. Is he a functionalist?
| 5014 | We can understand thinking occuring without imagination or sensation [Descartes] |
| 20741 | Consciousness is shaped dialectically, by opposing forces and concepts [Hegel, by Aho] |
| 22212 | Pure consciousness is a sealed off system of actual Being [Husserl] |
| 6151 | Sartre says consciousness is just directedness towards external objects [Sartre, by Rowlands] |
| 24016 | Consciousness always transcends itself [Sartre] |
| 7437 | Consciousness and experience of qualities are not the same [Armstrong] |
| 21890 | Heidegger showed that passing time is the key to consciousness [Derrida] |
| 3479 | The mind experiences space, but it is not experienced as spatial [Searle] |
| 3286 | An organism is conscious if and only if there is something it is like to be that organism [Nagel] |
| 9319 | Is consciousness a type of self-awareness, or is being self-aware a way of being conscious? [Gulick] |
| 2391 | Can we be aware but not conscious? [Chalmers] |
| 4931 | Consciousness is a process (of neural interactions), not a location, thing, property, connectivity, or activity [Edelman/Tononi] |