The consciousness paradox : consciousness, concepts, and higher-order thoughts

Resource Information

The work The consciousness paradox : consciousness, concepts, and higher-order thoughts represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries.

Label

The consciousness paradox : consciousness, concepts, and higher-order thoughts

Title remainder

consciousness, concepts, and higher-order thoughts

Statement of responsibility

Rocco J. Gennaro

Creator

• Gennaro, Rocco J

Subject

• Cognition
• Cognitive Science -- methods
• Consciousness

Language

eng

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

Member of

• Representation and mind

Cataloging source

DLC

Dewey number

126

LC call number

B808.9

LC item number

.G46 2012

NLM call number

• 2016 F-444
• B 808.9

Series statement

Representation and mind