Bio-centric Views of the Origin of Consciousness: The Search for the Solution to the Hard Problem

Efforts to solve the Hard Problem of consciousness, which search for neural correlates or trace the evolutionary emergence of consciousness, are reviewed and found wanting. The reason is that they all begin with human consciousness and treat it as a distinct type rather than as a token on the same existential continuum as other minds, committing a category error. This reveals the emergentist's dilemma: the difficulty of explaining how consciousness could spring into existence when one moment before it did not exist. The chapter anticipates criticism and offers prophylactic arguments.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Two strategies are used to review the many efforts to solve (or resolve or dissolve) the Hard Problem. One searches for the neurocorrelates of consciousness, the effort to answer the question: “How does the brain make the mind?” The other looks for the first appearance of true consciousness in phylogenesis. Both approaches are reviewed and found wanting. The reason is they all begin with human consciousness and use it as the basis for the explorations. This, it is argued, has lead to a “category error” where the H. sap. mind is treated as a distinct type and not as a token on the same existential continuum as other minds. It also reveals the existence of the “emergentist’s dilemma” or the difficulty of determining how consciousness could spring into existence when one cosmic moment before, it didn’t exist. The chapter ends by anticipating criticism of these arguments and of the CBC and providing prophylactic arguments.