Consciousness

Abstract

Consciousness, it would seem, appeared long before the evolution of our species; evidently it is something we share with numerous of our fellow creatures. This chapter takes up the question of what exactly it is we share. The reason for examining consciousness has to do with the Cartesian worldview. One who reflects on the topic of our essential nature will be drawn to the conception of us as creatures with a dual nature: we have bodies, and we have minds. The portrait of the human as an animal with a conscious mind—a being in possession of a rich set of mental objects like sights, sounds, pains, and pleasures—is a compelling one. We cannot understand our place in nature without reaching a decision on the accuracy of that portrayal. As attractive as it is, it misses the mark.

Misleading parallel: psychology treats of processes in the psychical sphere, as does physics in the physical

(PI, §571).