Consciousness is a great mystery. Its definition isn't
12 hours ago
- #neuroscience
- #consciousness
- #definition
- Experts widely agree on a definition of consciousness, despite the common myth that it is indefinable.
- The accepted definition, originating from Thomas Nagel, is 'what it is like to be' an organism, referring to subjective experience.
- Neuroscientists and philosophers like Giulio Tononi, Anil Seth, and Christof Koch provide similar definitions emphasizing experience.
- Definitional confusion often arises among non-experts, such as AI researchers, who conflate consciousness with intelligence or other functions.
- There is a distinction between the 'naive' definition of consciousness (subjective experience) and a scientific explanation, which remains elusive.
- Consciousness is often broken down into aspects like qualia, primary vs. secondary consciousness, and levels of consciousness.
- Scientific progress on consciousness is hindered by the lack of a neural correlate, but researchers agree on what needs to be explained.
- The debate extends to AI and non-humans, with moral implications, as consciousness is linked to moral value.
- Terms like 'sentience' are less defined than 'consciousness' and may cause additional confusion.