Illusionism and Consciousness

The theory that phenomenal consciousness, our subjective experience, is an illusion created by the brain.

The subjective qualities of our conscious experiences, like the redness of red or the painfulness of pain.

A characteristic of phenomenal properties; the inability to fully describe or communicate our subjective experiences to others.

A characteristic of phenomenal properties; they exist independently and cannot be broken down into simpler parts.

A characteristic of phenomenal properties; they are not publicly observable and cannot be directly shared or compared.

A characteristic of phenomenal properties; we are directly and immediately aware of our own consciousness.

The view that phenomenal properties are real aspects of the world, not illusions.

The view that phenomenal properties can be explained using physical science, like neuroscience.

A test to determine if a machine can exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from a human.

A powerful language model that demonstrated impressive conversational abilities and passed the Turing Test at a higher rate than previous models.

The state of a machine exhibiting consciousness, having subjective experiences.

A framework for finding indicators that could suggest consciousness in artificial systems.

A test designed to assess whether a machine might be conscious, focusing on internal signs of consciousness rather than mimicking human behavior.

The ability to perform a wide range of cognitive tasks across different domains.

A hypothetical type of AI that possesses general intelligence, capable of performing most tasks that humans can.

The ability of an AI to achieve goals despite obstacles or challenges.

The ability to use cognitive or behavioral strategies to achieve a goal in a new context.

The ability to combine information from various sources to form a more comprehensive understanding.

A scenario where gradual, subtle changes in a room go unnoticed over time due to the lack of a clear reference point.

The philosophical view that consciousness is an illusion created by the brain. It suggests that subjective experiences, like colors or emotions, are not direct representations of reality but rather brain-generated constructs.

A theoretical situation where someone's perception of a sensory quality, like color, is subtly altered without their awareness. It challenges our understanding of how we experience the world.

A thought experiment involving two coffee tasters who no longer find the coffee enjoyable after years of work. One attributes it to changing taste buds, while the other claims a shift in preferences.

The way that an individual personally perceives and interprets sensory data or internal states. It is influenced by factors like personal history, beliefs, and emotions.

The qualitative subjective experience of feeling and sensing. It refers to what it feels like to be aware of something.

The way the mind processes and responds to stimuli. It involves how information is received, interpreted, and used to guide actions.

The process of examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It relies on self-reflection and the ability to observe one's own mental state.

Research approaches that rely on subjective reports and introspective data from individuals to study consciousness. It assumes that individuals have access to their own experiences and can report them reliably.

Research approaches that use objective measures to study consciousness, such as behavioral observations, brain imaging, and physiological responses. These methods focus on external indicators of consciousness.

A philosophical argument against the reliability of introspection. It argues that if people disagree about their conscious experiences, then introspection cannot be a trustworthy tool for studying consciousness.

A psychological experiment that investigates the capacity and duration of sensory memory. Participants are shown a grid of letters for a brief period and then asked to recall them.

The ability to direct and control actions based on conscious reasoning, planning, and goal-directed behavior. It involves deliberate choices and actions.

A condition where individuals with brain damage can make accurate visual discriminations, despite reporting no conscious visual awareness. It challenges the link between behavior and subjective experience.

The ability to differentiate between different stimuli based on their perceptual properties. For example, recognizing different colors, shapes, or sounds.

A theory suggesting consciousness arises when information is widely shared across the brain, making it accessible to various systems like memory, planning, and decision-making.

The idea that conscious states have distinct functional properties compared to unconscious states.

An argument suggesting consciousness can be understood in terms of its functional properties, based on the idea that conscious states have a distinct functional profile.

A challenge to the availability argument, questioning the validity of methods used to identify conscious states because they often assume the availability thesis is true.

A challenge to the availability argument, suggesting that defining consciousness by its function leads to circular reasoning and doesn't explain why conscious states have different functions.

Questions whether the functional approach to consciousness can adequately explain all forms of consciousness, especially beyond human consciousness.

A method of understanding animal consciousness by developing a complete theory of consciousness based on the human case and then applying it to other species.

A method of understanding animal consciousness by focusing on functional, behavioral, and neuroanatomical similarities between humans and non-human animals, using analogy and inference.

An argument exploring consciousness across species by suggesting that if one species is conscious, and another species with similar abilities is not, then there's no clear point where consciousness disappears.

A property lacking clear boundaries or a precise definition.

A key feature of consciousness, the awareness of being in a conscious state.

A key feature of consciousness, the personal, subjective perspective of the experiencing 'I'.

An argument suggesting that sensory capacities alone aren't enough for consciousness, and only creatures capable of representing themselves as conscious subjects can be conscious.

A concern that prioritizing AI interests over those of humans or animals could be ethically troubling.

A concern that relying on AI for social and emotional support could lead to exploitation and manipulation.

The visual pathway responsible for processing spatial information and guiding movement. It is fast and unconscious.

The visual pathway involved in recognizing objects and their meaning. It is slower and often conscious.

The challenge in using brain activity or behavior to prove someone is conscious. We need to be sure these markers truly reflect their subjective experience.

A theory that states a mental state is conscious simply because it exists, without needing special monitoring or representation.

Theories that argue consciousness involves a higher-level process that reflects or monitors mental states, making us aware of them.

A theory suggesting that consciousness requires a higher-order thought that represents or monitors the first-order mental state.

Theories that argue consciousness doesn't require extra awareness or monitoring. The experience itself is enough.

An objection to higher-order theories that argues if the higher-order thought about an experience needs to be conscious, then you'd need another thought about that thought, leading to an infinite loop.

An objection to higher-order theories claiming that if a higher-order state must be conscious, then it needs another higher-order state, leading to an endless chain of thoughts about thoughts.

The possibility that a higher-order thought could represent a mental state you're actually not in (like imagining a unicorn).

A theory arguing that consciousness is due to the neural properties of mental states, not requiring higher-level representation.

A theory suggesting that conscious visual experience happens when information from higher visual areas re-enters lower visual areas, creating a loop of activity.

An argument suggesting consciousness is linked to brain activity because changes in brain areas can affect consciousness.

The problem that evidence linking brain activity to specific conscious experiences isn't always strong. The same brain areas might be active during different experiences.

A theory suggesting that consciousness is determined by the functional role of a mental state, how it interacts with other brain processes.

A functional theory of consciousness arguing that conscious information is widely accessible to various parts of the brain, enabling complex tasks.