The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle
This article applies the free energy principle to the hard problem of consciousness. After clarifying some philosophical issues concerning functionalism, it identifies the elemental form of consciousness as affect and locates its physiological mechanism (an extended form of homeostasis) in the upper...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02714/full |
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doaj-6127e141b109463c91426f694aefafcc2020-11-25T00:01:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-01-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.02714412177The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy PrincipleMark SolmsThis article applies the free energy principle to the hard problem of consciousness. After clarifying some philosophical issues concerning functionalism, it identifies the elemental form of consciousness as affect and locates its physiological mechanism (an extended form of homeostasis) in the upper brainstem. This mechanism is then formalized in terms of free energy minimization (in unpredicted contexts) where decreases and increases in expected uncertainty are felt as pleasure and unpleasure, respectively. Emphasis is placed on the reasons why such existential imperatives feel like something to and for an organism.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02714/fullhard problemconsciousnessfree energypredictive processingaffectFreud |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Mark Solms |
| spellingShingle |
Mark Solms The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle Frontiers in Psychology hard problem consciousness free energy predictive processing affect Freud |
| author_facet |
Mark Solms |
| author_sort |
Mark Solms |
| title |
The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle |
| title_short |
The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle |
| title_full |
The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle |
| title_fullStr |
The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle |
| title_sort |
hard problem of consciousness and the free energy principle |
| publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
| series |
Frontiers in Psychology |
| issn |
1664-1078 |
| publishDate |
2019-01-01 |
| description |
This article applies the free energy principle to the hard problem of consciousness. After clarifying some philosophical issues concerning functionalism, it identifies the elemental form of consciousness as affect and locates its physiological mechanism (an extended form of homeostasis) in the upper brainstem. This mechanism is then formalized in terms of free energy minimization (in unpredicted contexts) where decreases and increases in expected uncertainty are felt as pleasure and unpleasure, respectively. Emphasis is placed on the reasons why such existential imperatives feel like something to and for an organism. |
| topic |
hard problem consciousness free energy predictive processing affect Freud |
| url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02714/full |
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AT marksolms thehardproblemofconsciousnessandthefreeenergyprinciple AT marksolms hardproblemofconsciousnessandthefreeenergyprinciple |
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