Introspective Physicalism towards a scientific phenomenology Anthony I Jack

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Introspective Physicalismtowards a scientific
phenomenologyAnthony I Jack

• Based on Jack Shallice, 2001,
  Introspective Physicalism as an approach to the
  science of consciousness, Cognition special
  issue, ed. Stanislas Dehaene

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• When we take a general view of the wonderful
  stream of our consciousness, what strikes us
  first is the different pace of its parts. Like a
  bird's life, it seems to be an alternation of
  flights and perchings. The rhythm of language
  expresses this, where every thought is expressed
  in a sentence, and every sentence closed by a
  period.

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• Most books adopt the so-called synthetic method.
  Starting with 'simple ideas of sensation,' and
  regarding these as so many atoms, they proceed to
  build up the higher states of mind out of their
  'association,' 'integration,' or 'fusion,' as
  houses are built by the agglutination of bricks.
  A student who loves the fullness of human nature
  will prefer to follow the 'analytic' method, and
  to begin with the most concrete facts, those with
  which he has a daily acquaintance in his own
  inner life.

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• each conscious state comprises a single scene
  that cannot be decomposed into independent
  components.
• Tononi Edelman (1998)

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• the impression that we are aware of a whole
  visual scene is an illusion
• Dennett (1991) Consciousness Explained

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• Consciousness is always interested more in one
  part of its object than in another, and welcomes
  and rejects, or chooses, all the while it
  thinks.
• William James (1892) The Stream of consciousness

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• Consciousness is a matter of degrees

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• Consciousness is qualitative, not quantitative
  you are either aware of something, or you arent.

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• consciousness is non-localised

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• experience is localised outside the brain

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• consciousness is localised in the brain

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• Do you believe in astrology?

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• Have you ever read a horoscope?

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Confidence tricks

• Attention is drawn to examples that fit,
  counter-examples are overlooked
• Language is highly abstract and ambiguous
• Takes advantage of desire to believe

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• How do you know what consciousness is?

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• I think therefore my theory is correct
• (Roepstorff, 2001, personal communication)

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• 9 year old children
• 5 3 - 3 ?
• 2 6 - 6 ?
• Siegler Stern, 1998

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• If you want to know what the subject is
  experiencing, ask them!

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• The real purpose of the scientific method is to
  make sure Nature hasnt misled you into thinking
  you know something you dont actually know.
• Robert Persiig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
  Maintenance (1974)