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Philosophy vocabulary · Philosophy of Mind

Consciousness

Meaning in philosophy, with examples

/ˈkɒnʃəsnəs/nounCore term

In philosophy, consciousness means: The state of having experiences, of there being something it is like to see, feel or think; also the state of being awake and aware.

In Turkish: bilinç

How it is used

Central in philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Philosophers separate phenomenal consciousness (what an experience feels like) from access consciousness (information available for reasoning and report). The adjective is conscious.

Example sentences

  1. No one has yet explained how brain activity gives rise to consciousness.

  2. Could a machine ever have consciousness, or only imitate it?

Common collocations

  • phenomenal consciousness
  • the nature of consciousness
  • stream of consciousness
  • explain consciousness
  • hard problem of consciousnessThe problem of explaining why and how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience at all, instead of running without any inner feeling.
  • qualiaThe subjective qualities of conscious experience, such as how the redness of red looks or how a headache feels to the person who has it.
  • mind-body problemThe question of how the mind, with its thoughts and feelings, is related to the body and especially to the brain.
  • intentionalityThe property of mental states of being about or directed at something, as a belief is about a fact or a desire is for an object.

More terms: Philosophy of Mind

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