Single Idea 7885

[catalogued under 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 Reference

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?