The concept of consciousness is particularly ephemeral. It has challenged philosophers, psychologists, physicist, and more. It is difficult. My approach to understanding a tough subject is to form a model that I can personally understand. We have followed this desideratum here by indicating that consciousness is a collective of three aspects of intelligent life: self-awareness, problem solving, and innovation. In defining consciousness, we seem to be challenging a problem for which any proposed solution generates new questions and new problems. But, here we go...
For us to define consciousness leads to philosophical, psychological and emotional problems, as above and more. One way to attack the problem is to propose what would constitute consciousness in a computing machine. This has been well explored. No consensus has been achieved. In this note, we connect consciousness with the subjects of self-awareness, problem-solving, and innovation. Each seems to be a new and deeper layer of the subject at hand. Then, of course there is memory, an often overlooked factor.
Consciousness is multifaceted communication - but much more.
Self-awareness seems to be one quality or even better an ingredient at the threshold of consciousness. To argue if a dog has consciousness one often asks whether the dog is self-aware of itself. The answer is usually, "somewhat." The question is dropped. When the answer "somewhat" is given, we are really looking for a calibration or a metrization of ordinary consciousness. So, a good definition should include a manner to quantify the "level" of consciousness. This is possible when a good definition is posited.
This is key.
Self-awareness is a good idea that has significant connotations --- communications to be self-aware means in part the self is communicating with the self about the self, its surroundings, its body, its moods, its feelings, or something. Even some single celled plants respond to certain stimuli, such as heat and light and animals to environmental conditions, and there is a complexity of self-communication. Only if a message is received, will it be considered, ramified to itself, and responded to by an action. Therefore, self-awareness is a good marker of consciousness. It is not enough. There are too many entities that can be classified as self-aware. A large, modern building with a comprehensive climate control system could be so classified.
What we want is something unique to us - or like us. This requires more qualifiers. Problem solving is a key point of consciousness. It goes beyond self-awareness. Your marvelous brain has six channels for problem solving. With the acronym BRAIPE, they are
What about innovation? We could say an entity is self-aware and conscious if it can innovate on the basis of itself or on stimuli it received. This is more like it; it is beyond problem solving. Stimuli or thoughts occur and the entity can somehow innovate an new idea or a recourse over and beyond the expected response. This sounds better. It implies a higher order of thinking, well beyond the single-celled organism, and well beyond the comprehensive climate control systems, well beyond the dog or cat, and well beyond other species. The climate control system includes only the "P" above. Dogs and cats may respond to four of them, the "I", "R", "P", and "E." Yes, they are emotional, too, and work emotionally at times!
But innovation is also well beyond many humans. All this is a gentle attempt to resolve an ancient question. The question remains unsolved. It seems that the definition of consciousness is rather undefined, and that is if the question of consciousness is well-posed in the first place.
There's been no mention of how memory fits into this equation. One could argue that a newborn baby is not conscious at all, having nothing to relate experience or stimuli to. Self-communication is minimal. This is yet another facet of one of humankind's most complicated problems.
In all, consciousness implies a level of self-awareness compounded with problem-solving, and an ability to innovate. In total, this implies a very high level of internal self-communication - which I believe is the genesis of true consciousness.
More blogs at: http://used-ideas.blogspot.com
For us to define consciousness leads to philosophical, psychological and emotional problems, as above and more. One way to attack the problem is to propose what would constitute consciousness in a computing machine. This has been well explored. No consensus has been achieved. In this note, we connect consciousness with the subjects of self-awareness, problem-solving, and innovation. Each seems to be a new and deeper layer of the subject at hand. Then, of course there is memory, an often overlooked factor.
Consciousness is multifaceted communication - but much more.
Self-awareness seems to be one quality or even better an ingredient at the threshold of consciousness. To argue if a dog has consciousness one often asks whether the dog is self-aware of itself. The answer is usually, "somewhat." The question is dropped. When the answer "somewhat" is given, we are really looking for a calibration or a metrization of ordinary consciousness. So, a good definition should include a manner to quantify the "level" of consciousness. This is possible when a good definition is posited.
This is key.
Self-awareness is a good idea that has significant connotations --- communications to be self-aware means in part the self is communicating with the self about the self, its surroundings, its body, its moods, its feelings, or something. Even some single celled plants respond to certain stimuli, such as heat and light and animals to environmental conditions, and there is a complexity of self-communication. Only if a message is received, will it be considered, ramified to itself, and responded to by an action. Therefore, self-awareness is a good marker of consciousness. It is not enough. There are too many entities that can be classified as self-aware. A large, modern building with a comprehensive climate control system could be so classified.
What we want is something unique to us - or like us. This requires more qualifiers. Problem solving is a key point of consciousness. It goes beyond self-awareness. Your marvelous brain has six channels for problem solving. With the acronym BRAIPE, they are
- Beliefs/Faith - You have a set of these which function as guideposts on how to view problems and resolve difficulties
- Random - When all else fails, and all considerations are equal, what do you do? Throw the dice. This means just take a guess.
- Analytic - This is the logical part of your brain. It channels you through issues using the strengths of logical deduction and induction. You try hard to use accepted logical rules to make conclusions.
- Instinct/Intuitive - You have a sense of what to do. It just comes to you. You have to react quickly. So, you rely on instincts of what to do.
- Programs - Through life you program yourself to carry out certain complex actions. While at one time you used the other tools to draw conclusions or take actions, you now rely on a set of internally programs steps.
- Emotional - You make a decision based on purely emotional grounds. You "feel" this is the proper recourse and decision because you "know" in your heart this is correct.
What about innovation? We could say an entity is self-aware and conscious if it can innovate on the basis of itself or on stimuli it received. This is more like it; it is beyond problem solving. Stimuli or thoughts occur and the entity can somehow innovate an new idea or a recourse over and beyond the expected response. This sounds better. It implies a higher order of thinking, well beyond the single-celled organism, and well beyond the comprehensive climate control systems, well beyond the dog or cat, and well beyond other species. The climate control system includes only the "P" above. Dogs and cats may respond to four of them, the "I", "R", "P", and "E." Yes, they are emotional, too, and work emotionally at times!
But innovation is also well beyond many humans. All this is a gentle attempt to resolve an ancient question. The question remains unsolved. It seems that the definition of consciousness is rather undefined, and that is if the question of consciousness is well-posed in the first place.
There's been no mention of how memory fits into this equation. One could argue that a newborn baby is not conscious at all, having nothing to relate experience or stimuli to. Self-communication is minimal. This is yet another facet of one of humankind's most complicated problems.
In all, consciousness implies a level of self-awareness compounded with problem-solving, and an ability to innovate. In total, this implies a very high level of internal self-communication - which I believe is the genesis of true consciousness.
More blogs at: http://used-ideas.blogspot.com
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