Caging the Beast
A theory of sensory consciousness
| Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania
A major obstacle for materialist theories of the mind is the problem of sensory consciousness. How could a physical brain produce conscious sensory states that exhibit the rich and luxurious qualities of red velvet, a Mozart concerto or fresh-brewed coffee? Caging the Beast: A Theory of Sensory Consciousness offers to explain what these conscious sensory states have in common, by virtue of being conscious as opposed to unconscious states. After arguing against accounts of consciousness in terms of higher-order representation of mental states, the theory claims that sensory consciousness is a special way we have of representing the world. The book also introduces a way of thinking about subjectivity as separate and more fundamental than consciousness, and considers how this foundational notion can be developed into more elaborate varieties. An appendix reviews the connection between consciousness and attention with an eye toward providing a neuropsychological instantiation of the proposed theory. (Series A)
[Advances in Consciousness Research, 51] 2003. x, 183 pp.
Publishing status: Available
© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Table of Contents
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Preface | p. ix
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1. On sensory consciousness | p. 1
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2. On higher-order theories of consciousness | p. 31
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3. Solving the problem of Spot-sight | p. 65
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4. Subjectivity | p. 99
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5. Testing the theory | p. 123
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Appendix: A Speculative Hypothesis | p. 141
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Notes | p. 157
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Index | p. 179
Cited by
Cited by 5 other publications
Droege, Paula
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Peters, Frederic
Thompson, Brad
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Subjects & Metadata
Consciousness Research
Philosophy
Psychology
BIC Subject: JMT – States of consciousness
BISAC Subject: PSY008000 – PSYCHOLOGY / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition