The Nature of Consciousness
Details
Topic:
The Nature of Consciousness
Chairperson:
Mary Kennedy
Moderator:
Spencer Sinclare
Meetup Date:
Wednesday, July 23rd. 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a 15 minute break at 8:00 p.m.
Meetup Location:
Upstairs at The Bent Mast, 512 Simcoe St. Victoria, BC, V8V 1L8
Members:
If you plan to attend, please take a moment and RSVP. If your plans
change and you cannot attend, to the right of your name there are three dots. Please click on them and move yourself to "Not Going."
Thank you :)
Quotes:
"Consciousness is the most familiar thing there is, and yet the most mysterious and intractable thing there is too"
~ David Chalmers
"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it"
~ Albert Einstein
Synopsis:
Philosophers have long grappled with the nature of consciousness, offering diverse perspectives. Descartes famously proposed mind-body dualism, suggesting consciousness is non-physical. William James, a pioneer in psychology, explored the stream of consciousness and its role in steering our complex nervous systems. Alan Watts offered a perspective on consciousness as an illusion of separation, highlighting the interconnectedness of self and other. Jean-Paul Sartre viewed consciousness as a being whose nature is to be aware of its own nothingness. David Chalmers grapples with the "hard problem" of consciousness, distinguishing between the easy problems of explaining cognitive functions and the difficult problem of explaining subjective experience.
Here's a more detailed look at some key philosophical perspectives:
Dualism:
Philosophers like Descartes proposed that mind and body are distinct substances, with consciousness residing in the non-physical mind.
Materialism:
This view suggests that consciousness is entirely a product of physical processes in the brain.
Idealism:
This perspective, often associated with some Eastern philosophies, suggests that reality is fundamentally mental or consciousness-based.
Stream of Consciousness:
William James described consciousness as a continuous flow of thoughts, feelings, and sensations, emphasizing its dynamic and ever-changing nature.
The Hard Problem:
David Chalmers uses this term to describe the challenge of explaining how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience, or qualia.
Consciousness as Illusion:
Some thinkers, like Alan Watts, have argued that our everyday experience of consciousness as a separate, individual entity is an illusion, and that we are all interconnected parts of a larger whole.
Consciousness and the Self:
Philosophers have also debated the relationship between consciousness and the self, with some arguing that the self is a construct of consciousness and others suggesting it is a separate entity.
Consciousness and Action:
Daniel Dennett argues that consciousness is not a central controller of our actions, but rather a product of various cognitive processes that influence behavior.
Consciousness and Evolution:
Some thinkers, like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, have explored the idea that consciousness has evolved over time, with humans representing a peak in this evolutionary process.
Watch:
"The Nature of Consciousness ~ Alan Watts" on YouTube.
The Nature of Consciousness