Studies in Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality

Transcription

1 Studies in Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality Volume 6 Series Editors Harald Walach, European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany Stefan Schmidt, Institute for Transcultural Health Studies, European University Frankfurt (Oder), Frankfurt, Germany Department for Psychosomatic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany Editorial Board Jonathon Schooler University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA Mario Beauregard University of Arizone, Tucson, USA Robert Forman The Forge Institute, USA B. Alan Wallace Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies, CA, USA

2 More information about this series at

3 Anders Hedman Consciousness from a Broad Perspective A Philosophical and Interdisciplinary Introduction

4 Anders Hedman KTH Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm, Sweden ISSN ISSN (electronic) Studies in Neuroscience, Consciousness and Spirituality ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Library of Congress Control Number: Springer International Publishing AG 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

5 To my Parents v

6 Acknowledgements I would like to warmly thank Elena Rodriguez-Vieitez, Gary Guttenberg, Ann Lantz, Mikael Persson, William Stewart, Henrik Åhman, Vincent Lewandowski, Rebekah Cupitt, and Alex Wennberg for their much-appreciated help in reading and commenting on the manuscript of this book. I thank Elena also for her joyful companionship and support. I would also like to thank my parents for having brought me into this world and for raising me with love, kindness, and acceptance essential ingredients for an inquiring mind to express itself. Additionally, many moons ago, my father taught me something important about consciousness and simply mingling in the moment. Since I was a child, my father reminded me often of his definition of happiness i.e., sitting on a rock while eating crispbread (a Scandinavian delight). I have yet to find any fissure in such wisdom. So, I can wholeheartedly recommend for you to go sit on a rock with some crispbread (or anything else that delights you) and this book. Moreover, enjoy the many moments that comprise this unique life of yours. With Gratitude, Anders Hedman vii

7 Contents Consciousness... 1 Introduction... 1 Discussion Questions... 4 Behaviorism and the Cognitive Revolution... 4 Dualism and Physicalism... 5 Neuroscience and Philosophy... 5 References... 5 Philosophy from Socrates to Descartes... 7 Plato s Philosophy... 8 Body and Soul... 9 Aristotle and Science Aristotle s World Logic Souls Scholasticism Dualism A New Logic The Method of Doubt Problems of Dualism Discussion Questions Plato Aristotle Dualism References Philosophy, Science, and the Mind Body Problem Dualism Monism Leibniz s Idealism Berkeley s Idealism Hume s Empiricism ix

8 x Contents Kant s Transcendental Idealism Discussion Questions References Consciousness as a Scientific Problem The Science of Psychology Behaviorism The Cognitive Revolution and the Re-emergence of the Mind Information Processing The Brain as a Computer Turing s Test Turing Machines Searle s Chinese Room The Background Mind Without Intentionality Computational Neuroscience Discussion Questions Early Psychology Freud Wittgenstein Behaviorism The Cognitive Revolution and Artificial Intelligence References Consciousness Rediscovered Functional Neuroanatomy and Biochemistry Brain Activity Non-stop Brain Organization Brain Lobes Frontal Lobe Parietal Lobe Occipital Lobe Temporal Lobe Core Brain Structures Limbic System Basal Ganglia Diencephalon Mesencephalon (Midbrain) Metencephalon Myelencephalon (Medulla) Neurons: Communicating Cells Neural Coding Redundancy Neural Pathways Neurotransmitters... 86

9 Contents xi Glia and the Other Brain Brain Imaging Computed Tomography Positron Emission Tomography Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Electroencephalography Magnetoencephalography Neural Correlates of Consciousness Biological Naturalism Causal Emergence of the Conscious Field Free Will Discussion Questions References Consciousness as a Modern Mystery Approaches to Understanding the Mind Idealism Physicalism Behaviorism Functionalism Consciousness as Mysterious Imagine a Causal Explanation of Consciousness Why Are We Conscious? Consciousness and Blindsight Evolution of Virtual and Conscious Seeing David Chalmers on Consciousness Consciousness as a Fundamental Chalmers s Theory of Consciousness Joseph Levine s Explanatory Gap Tomas Nagel and Being a Bat Mary the Scientist McGinn and Cognitive Closure Mysterian Pluralism Human Cognition Consciousness and Emergence Discussion Questions Introduction Ben the Neuroscientist Consciousness and Blindsight David Chalmers Joseph Levine Thomas Nagel Frank Jackson Colin McGinn References

10 xii Contents Rethinking Consciousness Correlation and Causation Neuroscientific Studies of Vision and Consciousness Illusions of Time and Action Free Will and Action Ordering of Events The Binding Problem Split Brains Ned Block and the Concept of Consciousness Access and Phenomenal Consciousness Bernard Baars s Global Workspace Model of Consciousness The Theater Model in More Detail Consciousness as Serial Processing in Parallel-Processing Brains Contrastive Analysis Beyond Rethinking Consciousness The New Skeptics Eliminative Materialism Folk Psychology as Theory Folk Psychology and Neurophilosophy Replacing Folk Psychology with a Neurocomputational Model Consciousness Explained? Information Processing and Consciousness The Problems of Life and Consciousness as Mechanical Problems A Computational View of Consciousness Cartesian Materialism The User Illusion Virtual Machines in the Brain Putting the Stream of Consciousness Together Dennett on Subjective Experience Discussion Questions The Visual World as an Illusion Benjamin Libet The Binding Problem Split Brains Ned Block Bernard Baars Paul and Patricia Churchland Daniel Dennett References Externalism and Consciousness Internalism Challenged Frege on Meaning Putnam s Externalism Burge s Externalism

11 Contents xiii Qualia and Externalism Block s Inverted Earth In the Head and the World Clark and Chalmers s Vehicle Externalism Active and Passive Externalism Functionalism and Vehicle Externalism Contingency and Coupling Externalism About Beliefs Externalism and Consciousness Susan Hurley s Vehicle Externalism of Consciousness Alva Noë Considers Life and Consciousness Consciousness in a Petri Dish Rewiring Visual Systems Phantom Limbs Sensory Substitution Biology of Consciousness? Discussion Questions Introduction Frege and Russell Putnam and Burge Clark and Chalmers Alva Noë Summary Questions References Conclusions Neurofunctionalism Envirofunctionalism Radicalism Dualism Forms Ontology and the Otherworldly Systems Views Copenhagen Skepticism Technological Ontology Wheeler s Metaphysics of Information Biological Liberalism References A Conscious Universe Western Subjectivism and Eastern Formlessness The Ego and the Universe Constrained Stories of Western Subjectivism The Focus on Thought in Western Naturalism Naturalism as a Metaphysical Perspective Hume and Kant on the Limits of Naturalism Einstein s Pragmatic Realism

12 xiv Contents Fundamentally Observers of Our Universe A Pointless Universe as a Reductio ad Absurdum Will of Nature, Will to Power, and Consciousness A Thought Experiment in the Western Intellectual Tradition Imagine Schopenhauer s Satori Postmodernism and Will to Power Meditative Perspectives and Conditioned States of Mind Faith in Philosophical Materialism A Dialogue on Consciousness Western Subjectivism Researching the Formless References Index