Symbolic Conscious Experience

Authors

  • Venkata Rayudu Posina National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12726/tjp.17.1

Keywords:

Brain, Language, Measurement, Plasticity, Reality, Syntax

Abstract

Inspired by the eminently successful physical theories and informed by commonplace experiences such as seeing a cat upon looking at a cat, conscious experience is thought of as a measurement or photocopy of given stimulus. Conscious experience, unlike a photocopy, is symbolic—like language—in that the relation between conscious experience and physical stimulus is analogous to that of the word "cat" and its meaning, i.e., arbitrary and yet systematic. We present arguments against the photocopy model and arguments for a symbolic conception of conscious experience. Learning and the corresponding plasticity of the brain make a strong case for the symbolic conception of conscious experience, while many extra-ordinary conscious experiences argue against the formalisation of consciousness as a measuring device. The notions of place-value notation and grammar, which organise quantitative measurements and conscious experiences in the medium of numbers and language, respectively, are suggested as model systems for putting together a comprehensive theory of conscious experience.

Author Biography

Venkata Rayudu Posina, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Consciousness Studies Programme, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

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Published

2017-01-01

How to Cite

Posina, V. R. (2017). Symbolic Conscious Experience. Tattva Journal of Philosophy, 9(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.12726/tjp.17.1