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Single Idea 7885

[filed under theme 15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / f. Higher-order thought ]

Full Idea

The 'actualist' HOT theory says that a state is conscious if the subject is 'aware' of it, where this is understood as a matter of the subject forming some actual Higher-Order judgement about it.

Clarification

HOT stands for higher-order thought

Gist of Idea

The 'actualist' HOT theory says consciousness comes from actual higher judgements of mental states

Source

David Papineau (Thinking about Consciousness [2002], 7.11)

Book Ref

Papineau,David: 'Thinking about Consciousness' [OUP 2004], p.205

A Reaction

As stated there seems an obvious regress problem. Is the consciousness in the mental state, or in the higher awareness of it? If the former, how does being observed make it conscious? If the latter, what gives the higher level its consciousness?

The 16 ideas with the same theme [consciousness as higher levels of thinking]:

5002 Consciousness is the perception of what passes in a man's own mind [Locke]
4086 Kant thought that consciousness depends on self-consciousness ('apperception') [Kant, by Crane]
23190 Consciousness is our awareness of our own mental life [Nietzsche]
7111 Consciousness exists as consciousness of itself [Sartre]
4888 It seems plausible that many animals have experiences without knowing about them [Perry]
2453 We are probably the only creatures that can think about our own thoughts [Fodor]
7885 The 'actualist' HOT theory says consciousness comes from actual higher judgements of mental states [Papineau]
7886 Actualist HOT theories imply that a non-conscious mental event could become conscious when remembered [Papineau]
7887 States are conscious if they could be the subject of higher-order mental judgements [Papineau]
7888 Higher-order judgements may be possible where the subject denies having been conscious [Papineau]
8895 If neither the first-level nor the second-level is itself conscious, there seems to be no consciousness present [Bonjour]
12586 Consciousness of a belief isn't a belief that one has it [Peacocke]
9320 Higher-order theories divide over whether the higher level involves thought or perception [Gulick]
9321 Higher-order models reduce the problem of consciousness to intentionality [Gulick]
9322 Maybe qualia only exist at the lower level, and a higher-level is needed for what-it-is-like [Gulick]
9314 Unfortunately, higher-order representations could involve error [Kriegel/Williford]