Hi Gregg,

Here are a bunch of problems with these 3 definitions, especially compared
to the comprehensive not at all difficult, definition provided in the
Representational
Qualia Theory
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__canonizer.com_topic_88-2DTheories-2Dof-2DConsciousness_6-2DRepresentational-2DQualia-23statement&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=-2CjsbRMHcq-Ft2fZnxmr_NR0m1s7LmNvOQ8oGtskNE&s=fG9OKjzN5QENoq5e6KSnUzuxBIBVlT-YxD-ddS8WODg&e= >
Consensus camp.



1.    You are not taking into account what is theoretically possible, and
what is going to be possible during the next 100 years.  For example, it is
theoretically possible to have a near infinite size state/lookup table for
behavior, abstract robot, which could act more conscious that any conscious
being, yet should not be considered conscious.  And surely, in the next 10
years we will have abstract robots that will easily behave as if it is
conscious.

2.    “Functional Awareness and responsivity” would define a robot,
behaving more conscious than the dog “Binji” as being conscious, which is
completely wrong.  It would define all 3 of these robots
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__docs.google.com_document_d_1YnTMoU2LKER78bjVJsGkxMsSwvhpPBJZvp9e2oJX9GA_edit-3Fusp-3Dsharing&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=-2CjsbRMHcq-Ft2fZnxmr_NR0m1s7LmNvOQ8oGtskNE&s=SKrbMtlgklOHnTkGSjX-yerh5cla1w0Bg9dtNIF18gA&e= >
(especially if they were designed to do more than just pick strawberries)
as conscious.  And it would not define a conscious thermostat (the minimum
required to be conscious in the RQT definition) as being conscious.

3.    The second “Subjective conscious experience” definition is a little
better, but the way you are describing it is very problematic. This kind of
consciousness can only be seen "from the inside"’ is just very bad usage of
the very bad “Homunculus <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wikipedia.org_wiki_Homunculus-5Fargument&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=-2CjsbRMHcq-Ft2fZnxmr_NR0m1s7LmNvOQ8oGtskNE&s=NHyzHFQMu8uC77yImyTy_mqtYYICzfitkVDZmkx0N14&e= >”
idea.  There is not something in the brain that can “see” consciousness.
There are two ways of gaining knowledge about reality.  You can “see” it
from afar, with eyes, and you can “directly apprehend” intrinsic qualities,
of which conscious knowledge is composed.  See the table 5 minutes
into the Distinguishing
Reality from knowleege
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__canonizer.com_videos_consciousness_-3Fchapter-3Ddifferentiate-5Freality-5Fknowledge&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=-2CjsbRMHcq-Ft2fZnxmr_NR0m1s7LmNvOQ8oGtskNE&s=3buLcORblQMsjZpZfA2ZAdOtLpOzfXpbz8467ChUlpA&e= >
chapter.

4.    The 3rd “self-conscious” definition would define a tesla automobile,
which is aware of itself, in it's surroundings, as being conscious,
especially if you gave it some primitive self-reflecting abilities.  For
example, it could be programmed to answer self-reflective questions like:
“What color are you?”  It’s knowledge of it’s color, would just be the
abstract word ‘red’, there would not be computationally bound redness
anywhere.



Any studying of the “evolution of subjective experience” is completely
missing the point that a thermostat life could be conscious, including some
of the first life on earth, while a much more complex animal, may be
entirely abstract, or so radically different from phenomenal consciousness,
that we would never consider such to be conscious, even though it may be
behaving in highly intelligent ways.



The bottom line is, our consciousness is composed of LOTS of pieces of
information (like every pixel on the surface of a strawberry.  1. Each of
those pieces of information must be something which has intrinsic
qualities.  2.  Whatever those things are, they must be able to be
“computationally bound” with all the other pieces of knowledge of which our
conscious awareness is composed.  If not, it is sub conscious.



Simple easy and complete definition of consciousness: “Computationally
bound elemental intrinsic qualities like redness and greenness.”



On Fri, Apr 9, 2021 at 7:30 AM Henriques, Gregg - henriqgx <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
>   I put this blog up today explaining how we should divide the meaning of
> consciousness up into (a) functional awareness and responsivity; (b)
> subjective experience of being and (c) explicit self-conscious reflection.
>
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.psychologytoday.com_us_blog_theory-2Dknowledge_202104_three-2Dbasic-2Dmeanings-2Dconsciousness&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=-2CjsbRMHcq-Ft2fZnxmr_NR0m1s7LmNvOQ8oGtskNE&s=elJNMCHSe449serObOKrwL_4hkDKH3DtWdJ7B9b_kzM&e= 
>
>
>
> Best,
> G
>
>
>
> ___________________________________________
>
> Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.
> Professor
> Department of Graduate Psychology
> 216 Johnston Hall
> MSC 7401
> James Madison University
> Harrisonburg, VA 22807
> (540) 568-7857 (phone)
> (540) 568-4747 (fax)
>
>
> *Be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity.*
>
> Check out the Unified Theory Of Knowledge homepage at:
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.unifiedtheoryofknowledge.org_&d=DwIFaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=-2CjsbRMHcq-Ft2fZnxmr_NR0m1s7LmNvOQ8oGtskNE&s=VCZHSlUkYDuj3wDYyBaqn3WYPa_0sE65RmA6ZuAZ5W4&e= 
>
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