The consciousness paradox : consciousness, concepts, and higher-order thoughts / Rocco J. Gennaro.
2012
B808.9 .G46 2012 (Mapit)
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Details
Title
The consciousness paradox : consciousness, concepts, and higher-order thoughts / Rocco J. Gennaro.
Author
Gennaro, Rocco J.
ISBN
9780262016605 (hardcover ; alk. paper)
0262016605 (hardcover ; alk. paper)
0262016605 (hardcover ; alk. paper)
Publication Details
Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, ©2012.
Language
English
Description
x, 378 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Call Number
B808.9 .G46 2012
Dewey Decimal Classification
126
Summary
Consciousness is arguably the most important area within contemporary philosophy of mind and perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the world. Despite an explosion of research from philosophers, psychologists, and scientists, attempts to explain consciousness in neurophysiological, or even cognitive, terms are often met with great resistance. In The Consciousness Paradox, Rocco Gennaro aims to solve an underlying paradox, namely, how it is possible to hold a number of seemingly inconsistent views, including higher-order thought (HOT) theory, conceptualism, infant and animal consciousness, concept acquisition, and what he calls the HOT-brain thesis. He defends and further develops a metapsychological reductive representational theory of consciousness and applies it to several importantly related problems. Gennaro proposes a version of the HOT theory of consciousness that he calls the "wide intrinsicality view" and shows why it is superior to various alternatives, such as self-representationalism and first-order representationalism. HOT theory says that what makes a mental state conscious is that a suitable higher-order thought is directed at that mental state. Thus Gennaro argues for an overall philosophical theory of consciousness while applying it to other significant issues not usually addressed in the philosophical literature on consciousness. Most cognitive science and empirical works on such topics as concepts and animal consciousness do not address central philosophical theories of consciousness. Gennaro's integration of empirical and philosophical concerns will make his argument of interest to both philosophers and nonphilosophers. -- Product Description from Website.
Note
"A Bradford Book."
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-369) and index.
Series
Representation and mind.
Record Appears in
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Table of Contents
In defense of the HOT thesis
Assessing three close rivals
From HOT theory to the wide intrinsicality view
Against self-representationalism
In defense of conceptualism
Concept acquisition and infant consciousness
Animal consciousness
Into the brain.
Assessing three close rivals
From HOT theory to the wide intrinsicality view
Against self-representationalism
In defense of conceptualism
Concept acquisition and infant consciousness
Animal consciousness
Into the brain.