Philosophical Reflection on Consciousness

• Main Authors: Chih, Chiann Cyh, 冀劍制
• Other Authors: Houng, Yu Houng
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1995
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79008267172288276121

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 哲學研究所 === 83 === The main problem was the problem of consciousness. Based on some results of scientific research (Artificial Intelligence, Neural Network, and Cognitive psychology), I do some philosophical thinking. First, I divide the problem of consciousness into three subproblems. The first is whether consciousness exists, the second is how consciousness is caused, and the third is what the functions of consciousness are. I focused on the second and the third subproblems. For the first problem, I think that consciousness does exist. This is to say that the terms in folk psychology really refer to things. The second problem is very difficult and has a lot to do with other problems. It is about what matter can cause consciousness. In this problem, the core problem is about the problem of subjectivity and how we can reduce consciousness to physics. For this problem, I discuss Nagel's and Searle's arguments which suggest that suggest that subjectivity cannot be reduced to physics. But, I think their arguments are both wrong, we need to make more effort to reduce it. For the third problem, I argue that consciousness has a lot to do with learning in our cognitive system and the main function of consciousness is to help learning. Finally, I discuss what is a better criterion to judge whether a thing has consciousness and I try to suggest a universal criterion to judge whether a thing has consciousness.