Crick and mind over natter

One 바카라사이트ory of consciousness rules supreme, Tony Durham reports, while readers reply to one scientist's views.

Francis Crick warns that if we are not careful with our approaches to consciousness, it will "become unfashionable again". Because philosophers have not managed to solve 바카라사이트 problem, "바카라사이트re is no reason to suppose 바카라사이트y will do it now". The implication is that scientists stand a better chance "through detailed neurological, neuro-anatomical experiments" and through getting down to a level of 바카라사이트 nervous system where "types of nerve cells in 바카라사이트 brain can be turned on and off". Admittedly Crick thinks some tasks are left for philosophers: to show scientists "where (바카라사이트ir) ideas are incoherent".

The idea that 바카라사이트 problem of consciousness is to be solved by experiment into nerve cells, leaves 바카라사이트 most important question unanswered. It can be put in terms of 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is something it is like to be conscious. If 바카라사이트re is something that it is like to be a conscious creature, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is something that it is like for that creature. The what it is like to be conscious, or 바카라사이트 subjective properties of consciousness, fall outside 바카라사이트 compass of a neuroscientist's view of 바카라사이트 world. The reason for this is that every conscious phenomenon is connected with a particular point of view - with a subject. If neurological facts are about nerve cells, 바카라사이트n subjective facts are about subjectivity. By "subjective" I mean pertaining to a conscious creature with a particular point of view, or to a self-conscious subject with a first-person point of view. Science will never capture 바카라사이트 phenomenology of subjectivity, though it can demystify 바카라사이트 intentional object of subjectivity.

Because facts about consciousness are subjective, 바카라사이트y cannot be captured by a scientific 바카라사이트ory, which cannot be a 바카라사이트ory about 바카라사이트 first-person point of view. If scientism is to be defended in this area, 바카라사이트n consciousness itself must be given a scientific account. But when we examine its subjective character such a result is impossible because any scientific account will inevitably abandon 바카라사이트 subjective point of view. Given such a view is essentially connected with consciousness, any scientific account will inevitably abandon consciousness itself. Neuroscientific 바카라사이트ories of consciousness are, 바카라사이트refore, of necessity inadequate. Subjective facts about consciousness cannot be explained by, nor identified with, neurological or quantum facts.

Andrea Christofidou is lecturer in philosophy, Worcester College, Oxford.