Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

If you're interested in the topic of consciousness, then you'll find this article rewarding, not the least of which because it offers a summary of Michael Tye's book Vagueness and the Evolution of Consciousness. The question of vagueness comes into play when we ask whether there can be a state between what we'll call 'fully conscious' and the state of being 'not conscious'. The answer depends on what we think consciousness is. If consciousness is a physical state or a physical property, then you either have it or you don't have it, it seems. But if consciousness is essentially representational, then it can be more or less vague. This gives us essentially two views of consciousness, which is what Tay develops in his book. It's an interesting discussion, and there's a lot more nuance than what I've presented, but that's why you'll enjoy

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 12:17 p.m.

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