77 C Omparing the Major Theories of Consciousness
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Dialectic at a Moving Standstill: the Neurotic Midadventures Of
Macalester Journal of Philosophy Volume 13 Article 6 Issue 1 Spring 2004 5-1-2004 Dialectic at a Moving Standstill: The eurN otic Midadventures of Philosphy of Mind Dan Ganin Macalester College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/philo Recommended Citation Ganin, Dan (2004) "Dialectic at a Moving Standstill: The eN urotic Midadventures of Philosphy of Mind," Macalester Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 6. Available at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/philo/vol13/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Philosophy Department at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Macalester Journal of Philosophy by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Dialectic at a Moving Standstill: The Neurotic Misadventures of Philosophy of Mind Dan Ganin Introduction Relatively recently, numerous philosophers of mind have espoused the epistemic intractability and impenetrability of both the mind-body problem and the problem of consciousness. While past and present attempts to theoretically resolve and circumvent these metaphysical questions have assumed many forms and postulated numerous conceptual paradigms (substance dualism, property dualism, eliminative materi alism, functionalism, mind- body identity theory, logical behaviorism, idealism, etc.), the fundamental problem of epistemic inexplicability has not substantially dissipated since the rationalist ruminations of Descartes and Leibniz. The nascent articulatio n of the epistemological insolvability of the mind-body problem that has so gravely and garishly confronted contemporary theorists of mind can, in fact, be found in the philosophical work of these two notable modernist thinkers. -
Arxiv:2012.10390V2 [Cs.AI] 20 Feb 2021 Inaccessible
Opinion - Paper under review Deep Learning and the Global Workspace Theory Rufin VanRullen1, 2 and Ryota Kanai3 1CerCo, CNRS UMR5549, Toulouse, France 2ANITI, Universit´ede Toulouse, France 3Araya Inc, Tokyo. Japan Abstract Recent advances in deep learning have allowed Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reach near human-level performance in many sensory, perceptual, linguistic or cognitive tasks. There is a growing need, however, for novel, brain-inspired cognitive architectures. The Global Workspace theory refers to a large-scale system integrating and distributing infor- mation among networks of specialized modules to create higher-level forms of cognition and awareness. We argue that the time is ripe to consider explicit implementations of this theory using deep learning techniques. We propose a roadmap based on unsu- pervised neural translation between multiple latent spaces (neural networks trained for distinct tasks, on distinct sensory inputs and/or modalities) to create a unique, amodal global latent workspace (GLW). Potential functional advantages of GLW are reviewed, along with neuroscientific implications. 1 Cognitive neural architectures in brains and ma- chines Deep learning denotes a machine learning system using artificial neural networks with multiple \hidden" layers between the input and output layers. Although the underlying theory is more than 3 decades old [1, 2], it is only in the last decade that these systems have started to fully reveal their potential [3]. Many of the recent breakthroughs in AI (Artificial Intelligence) have been fueled by deep learning. Neuroscientists have been quick to point out the similarities (and differences) between the brain and these deep artificial neural networks [4{9]. The advent of deep learning has allowed the efficient computer implementation of perceptual and cognitive functions that had been so far arXiv:2012.10390v2 [cs.AI] 20 Feb 2021 inaccessible. -
Theoretical Models of Consciousness: a Scoping Review
brain sciences Review Theoretical Models of Consciousness: A Scoping Review Davide Sattin 1,2,*, Francesca Giulia Magnani 1, Laura Bartesaghi 1, Milena Caputo 1, Andrea Veronica Fittipaldo 3, Martina Cacciatore 1, Mario Picozzi 4 and Matilde Leonardi 1 1 Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; [email protected] (F.G.M.); [email protected] (L.B.); [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (M.L.) 2 Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities-PhD Program, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department and Center for Clinical Ethics, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy 3 Oncology Department, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy; veronicaandrea.fi[email protected] 4 Center for Clinical Ethics, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +39-02-2394-2709 Abstract: The amount of knowledge on human consciousness has created a multitude of viewpoints and it is difficult to compare and synthesize all the recent scientific perspectives. Indeed, there are many definitions of consciousness and multiple approaches to study the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). Therefore, the main aim of this article is to collect data on the various theories of consciousness published between 2007–2017 and to synthesize them to provide a general overview of this topic. To describe each theory, we developed a thematic grid called the dimensional model, which qualitatively and quantitatively analyzes how each article, related to one specific theory, debates/analyzes a specific issue. -
An Anthology of Philosophical Studies
Introduction AN ANTHOLOGY OF PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES Edited by PATRICIA HANNA ADRIANNE L. MCEVOY PENELOPE VOUTSINA ATINER 2006 1 An Anthology of Philosophical Studies 2 Introduction Athens Institute for Education and Research 2006 An Anthology of Philosophical Studies Edited by Patricia Hanna Adrianne L. McEvoy Penelope Voutsina 3 An Anthology of Philosophical Studies PUBLISHED BY ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH 14 Solomou Street, 10683 Athens, Greece Tel. +30 210 36.34.210 Fax +30 210.36.34.209 Email: [email protected] URL: www.atiner.gr This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of the Athens Institute for Education and Research. First Published: 2006 ISBN: 978-960-6672-11-8 Typeset, printed and binding by Theta Co. 4 Introduction Table of Contents List of Contributors i Introduction 1 Voutsina, P. PART I EPISTEMOLOGY 1. Imagination in Descartes’ Skepticism 7 Scholl, A. 2. Descartes on Sensations and Ideas of Sensations 17 Cunning, D. 3. The Myth of Hume’s Compatibilism 33 Morris, E.W. 4. From Contextualism to Skepticism 43 Wilburn, R. 5. The Puzzle of Self-Knowledge 51 Voutsina, P. 6. Unconfined Rationality: A Normative yet Realistic Model of 59 Inference Morado, R. and Savion, L. PART II METAPHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 7. Language as Community Property: What’s Wrong with 75 Chomsky’s Individualism? Hanna, P. 8. What do Concepts Consist of? The Role of Geometric and 93 Proprioceptive Information in Categorization Dellantonio, S. and Pastore, L. -
Theory of Mind As Inverse Reinforcement Learning. Current
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Theory of mind as inverse reinforcement learning 1,2 Julian Jara-Ettinger We review the idea that Theory of Mind—our ability to reason think or want based on how they behave. Research in about other people’s mental states—can be formalized as cognitive science suggests that we infer mental states by inverse reinforcement learning. Under this framework, thinking of other people as utility maximizers: constantly expectations about how mental states produce behavior are acting to maximize the rewards they obtain while mini- captured in a reinforcement learning (RL) model. Predicting mizing the costs that they incur [3–5]. Using this assump- other people’s actions is achieved by simulating a RL model tion, even children can infer other people’s preferences with the hypothesized beliefs and desires, while mental-state [6,7], knowledge [8,9], and moral standing [10–12]. inference is achieved by inverting this model. Although many advances in inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) did not have Theory of mind as inverse reinforcement human Theory of Mind in mind, here we focus on what they learning reveal when conceptualized as cognitive theories. We discuss Computationally, our intuitions about how other minds landmark successes of IRL, and key challenges in building work can be formalized using frameworks developed in a human-like Theory of Mind. classical area of AI: model-based reinforcement learning 1 Addresses (hereafter reinforcement learning or RL) . RL problems 1 Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United focus on how to combine a world model with a reward States function to produce a sequence of actions, called a policy, 2 Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, that maximizes agents’ rewards while minimizing their United States costs. -
Global Workspace Theory and Animal Consciousness
19 August 2020 Global Workspace Theory and Animal Consciousness Jonathan Birch Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK. Email: [email protected] Webpage: http://personal.lse.ac.uk/birchj1 This is a preprint of an article that will appear in Philosophical Topics. 7082 words 1 Abstract: Carruthers has recently argued for a surprising conditional: if a global workspace theory of phenomenal consciousness is both correct and fully reductive, then there are no substantive facts to discover about phenomenal consciousness in non-human animals. I present two problems for this conditional. First, it rests on an odd double-standard about the ordinary concept of phenomenal consciousness: its intuitive non-gradability is taken to be unchallengeable by future scientific developments, whereas its intuitive determinacy is predicted to fall by the wayside. Second, it relies on dismissing, prematurely, the live empirical possibility that phenomenal consciousness may be linked to a core global broadcast mechanism that is (determinately) shared by a wide range of animals. Future developments in the science of consciousness may lead us to reconsider the non-gradability of phenomenal consciousness, but they are unlikely to lead us to accept that there are no facts to discover outside the paradigm case of a healthy adult human. Key words: animal consciousness, phenomenal consciousness, consciousness science, global workspace theory, phenomenal concepts 2 1. Carruthers’ surprising conditional For more than thirty years, scepticism about attributions of phenomenal consciousness1 to (states of) non-human animals has been a major theme in Peter Carruthers’ work (Carruthers 1989, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2018a,b, 2019, 2020). -
Qualia, the Heart of the Mind-Body Problem and Epistemology's
Augsburg Honors Review Volume 12 Article 4 2019 Qualia, the Heart of the Mind-Body Problem and Epistemology’s Quagmire Allison Mangan Augsburg University Follow this and additional works at: https://idun.augsburg.edu/honors_review Part of the Epistemology Commons Recommended Citation Mangan, Allison (2019) "Qualia, the Heart of the Mind-Body Problem and Epistemology’s Quagmire," Augsburg Honors Review: Vol. 12 , Article 4. Available at: https://idun.augsburg.edu/honors_review/vol12/iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate at Idun. It has been accepted for inclusion in Augsburg Honors Review by an authorized editor of Idun. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Allison Mangan Qualia, the Heart of the Mind-Body Problem and Epistemology’s Quagmire Alio Maga, Augbug Univesty ualia are layered and complex, the basic philosophic understanding a labyrinth of a concept, of qualia today. We will see how Q rife with debate as to their consciousness is necessary for qualia, existence, state, and what they mean and why this makes defning qualia for our understanding of knowledge, a challenge. Next, we will go over the relationship with the world, and explanatory gap of qualia. From there, ourselves. Toughtful exploration into we will see how qualia relate to the mind- the complexities of what qualia are body problem, and the early exploration and how they relate to the mind-body of this problem through Descartes, problem will be wrestled with though Locke, and Berkeley. Additionally, we research applied within this paper. will go over the main schools of thought Qualia can be found in philosophical that surround the mind-body problem: debates surrounding epistemology materialism, idealism, and dualism. -
The Phenomenology of the Self-Conscious Mind
The Phenomenology of the Self-Conscious Mind Robert G. Mays, B.Sc. Suzanne B. Mays Chapel Hill, NC ABSTRACT: The phenomenon of a near-death experiencer's veridical perceptions during the out-of-body experience (OBE) strongly suggests the existence of a self-conscious mind as a "field of consciousness," a region of space where a person's consciousness exists. In the out-of-body state, the mind appears to be nonmaterial and completely independent of the physical body. Ordinarily, though, the self-conscious mind appears as an autonomous entity united with the brain and body. In this united state, the self-conscious mind operates through the mediation of the brain. This view is supported by evidence from neurological phenomena such as subjective antedating of sensory experiences and mental force. This evidence suggests that a nonneural agency induces conscious experience and self-conscious awareness. Phenomena from OBEs, including apparent subtle interactions with physical processes such as light, sound, and physical objects, as well as reported interactions with "in-body" persons, support the view that the self-conscious mind is able to interact in some physical way with the brain. Neurological phenomena such as Benjamin Libet's (1985) delayed awareness of willed action can be reconsidered successfully in light of this view. Such efforts might also prove useful, for example, in explaining phantom limb phenomena. KEY WORDS: near-death experience; out-of-body experience; mind-body problem; self-conscious mind; veridical perception. Robert G. Mays, B.Sc., is a retired senior software engineer and Suzanne B. Mays, A.A., is a Certified Music Practitioner (through the Music for Healing and Transition Program) who provides palliative care to hospitalized patients. -
The Role of Language in Theory of Mind Development
Top Lang Disorders Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 313–328 Copyright c 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins The Role of Language in Theory of Mind Development Jill G. de Villiers and Peter A. de Villiers Various arguments are reviewed about the claim that language development is critically connected to the development of theory of mind. The different theories of how language could help in this process of development are explored. A brief account is provided of the controversy over the capacities of infants to read others’ false beliefs. Then the empirical literature on the steps in theory of mind development is summarized, considering studies on both typically developing and various language-delayed children. Suggestions are made for intervention by speech language pathologists to enhance the child’s access to understanding the minds of others. Key words: conversation, false beliefs, false complements, language, narrative, theory of mind N THIS ARTICLE, we review arguments on interactions between language and ToM I and evidence for the claim that children’s in both typically developing and language- language acquisition is crucially connected to delayed children. We end with suggestions their development of a theory of mind (ToM). for using language interventions to facilitate Theory of mind refers to the child’s ability to children’s understanding of their own mental understand that other people have minds, and states as well as the minds of others. those minds contain beliefs, knowledge, de- sires, and emotions that may be different from THEORIES OF THE RELATIONSHIP those of the child. If the child can figure out BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND ToM those contents, then other people’s behavior will begin to make sense and, therefore, be Many writers have made a convincing case predictable and explainable. -
Consciousness and Theory of Mind: a Common Theory?
Consciousness and Theory of Mind: a Common Theory? Keywords: Consciousness, Higher-Order Theories, Theory of Mind, Mind-reading, Metacognition. 1 Introduction Many of our mental states are phenomenally conscious. It feels a certain way, or to borrow Nagel's expression, there is something it is like to be in these states. Examples of phenomenally conscious states are those one undergoes while looking at the ocean or at a red apple, drinking a glass of scotch or a tomato juice, smelling coee or the perfume of a lover, listening to the radio or a symphonic concert, or feeling pain or hunger. A theory of consciousness has to explain the distinctive properties that phe- nomenally conscious states have and other kind of states lack. Higher-Order Representational (HOR) theories1 attempt to provide such an explanation. Ac- coding to these theories, phenomenally conscious states are those that are the objects of some kind of higher-order process or representation. There is some- thing higher-order, a meta-state, in the case of phenomenal conscious mental states, which is lacking in the case of other kind of states. According to these theories, consciousness depends on our Theory of Mind. A Theory of Mind, henceforth ToM, is the ability of humans to identify their own mental states and attribute mental states dierent from their owns to others. Such an ability can, at least conceptually, be decomposed into another two: mindreading and metacognition. Human beings are able to entertain representations of other people men- tal states thanks to the mindreading ability. We attribute beliefs, perceptions, feelings or desires to other people and predict and explain their behaviour ac- cordingly. -
Theory of Mind for a Humanoid Robot
Theory of Mind for a Humanoid Robot Brian Scassellati MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab 545 Technology Square – Room 938 Cambridge, MA 02139 USA [email protected] http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/scaz/ Abstract. If we are to build human-like robots that can interact naturally with people, our robots must know not only about the properties of objects but also the properties of animate agents in the world. One of the fundamental social skills for humans is the attribution of beliefs, goals, and desires to other people. This set of skills has often been called a “theory of mind.” This paper presents the theories of Leslie [27] and Baron-Cohen [2] on the development of theory of mind in human children and discusses the potential application of both of these theories to building robots with similar capabilities. Initial implementation details and basic skills (such as finding faces and eyes and distinguishing animate from inanimate stimuli) are introduced. I further speculate on the usefulness of a robotic implementation in evaluating and comparing these two models. 1 Introduction Human social dynamics rely upon the ability to correctly attribute beliefs, goals, and percepts to other people. This set of metarepresentational abilities, which have been collectively called a “theory of mind” or the ability to “mentalize”, allows us to understand the actions and expressions of others within an intentional or goal-directed framework (what Dennett [15] has called the intentional stance). The recognition that other individuals have knowl- edge, perceptions, and intentions that differ from our own is a critical step in a child’s development and is believed to be instrumental in self-recognition, in providing a perceptual grounding during language learning, and possibly in the development of imaginative and creative play [9]. -
Mind Perception Daniel R. Ames Malia F. Mason Columbia
Mind Perception Daniel R. Ames Malia F. Mason Columbia University To appear in The Sage Handbook of Social Cognition, S. Fiske and N. Macrae (Eds.) Please do not cite or circulate without permission Contact: Daniel Ames Columbia Business School 707 Uris Hall 3022 Broadway New York, NY 10027 [email protected] 2 What will they think of next? The contemporary colloquial meaning of this phrase often stems from wonder over some new technological marvel, but we use it here in a wholly literal sense as our starting point. For millions of years, members of our evolving species have gazed at one another and wondered: what are they thinking right now … and what will they think of next? The interest people take in each other’s minds is more than idle curiosity. Two of the defining features of our species are our behavioral flexibility—an enormously wide repertoire of actions with an exquisitely complicated and sometimes non-obvious connection to immediate contexts— and our tendency to live together. As a result, people spend a terrific amount of time in close company with conspecifics doing potentially surprising and bewildering things. Most of us resist giving up on human society and embracing the life of a hermit. Instead, most perceivers proceed quite happily to explain and predict others’ actions by invoking invisible qualities such as beliefs, desires, intentions, and feelings and ascribing them without conclusive proof to others. People cannot read one another’s minds. And yet somehow, many times each day, most people encounter other individuals and “go mental,” as it were, adopting what is sometimes called an intentional stance, treating the individuals around them as if they were guided by unseen and unseeable mental states (Dennett, 1987).