Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

183589

Encircling the consciousness conundrum

Ravindra M. Singh

pp. 379-402

Abstract

Appreciating the contribution of prominent theorists such as Dennett, Block, Baars, Damasio, Dehaene, Changeux, Naccache and their co-workers, in this chapter I argue that at the current state of theorising the information integration theory (IIT) as developed by Edelman and Tononi and its subsequent supplementation through the work of Koch and his research team represents the most rigorously articulated and empirically testable hypothesis available on the topic. Situating itself in the larger context occasioned by the devising of new technologies that have the capacity to fundamentally modify different life forms, the chapter begins by taking into account significant progress in understanding of the nature of consciousness witnessed by philosophy in the last few decades. While acknowledging that not everything is yet settled as far as consciousness is concerned, I distance myself from the sceptics about consciousness. The chapter also takes note of the definite progress that researchers have recently made through many novel methods for isolating neural correlates of consciousness, like, no-report paradigm, perceptual awareness scale, attentional blink and other online functional imaging techniques. I conclude by arguing that we are finally in possession of something concrete and elegant enough in terms of IIT to be worthy of refutation. And in that lies both the promise of science and a big philosophical challenge.

Publication details

Published in:

Menon Sangeetha, Nagaraj Nithin, Binoy V. V. (2017) Self, culture and consciousness: interdisciplinary convergences on knowing and being. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 379-402

Full citation:

Singh Ravindra M. (2017) „Encircling the consciousness conundrum“, In: S. Menon, N. Nagaraj & V. V. Binoy (eds.), Self, culture and consciousness, Dordrecht, Springer, 379–402.