Defining Consciousness

S&T’s Peer to Peer Volume 1 | Issue 2 Article 8 May 2017 Defining Consciousness Adam Bateman Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/peer2peer Part of the Computer Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Bateman, Adam (2017) "Defining Consciousness," S&T’s Peer to Peer: Vol. 1 : Iss. 2 , Article 8. Available at: http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/peer2peer/vol1/iss2/8 This Article - Journal is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars' Mine. It has been accepted for inclusion in S&T’s Peer to Peer by an authorized administrator of Scholars' Mine. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact . Bateman: Defining Consciousness DEFINING CONSCIOUSNESS Bateman 1 Adam Bateman Computer Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology DEFINING CONSCIOUSNESS Published by Scholars' Mine, 2017 1 S&T’s Peer to Peer, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2017], Art. 8 DEFINING CONSCIOUSNESS Bateman 2 Abstract A researcher trying to develop a conscious artificial intelligence or examine consciousness in plants would be completely unable to do so without first obtaining a clear, concise, and global definition. This idea is what originally inspired my research. The main method of research to be used will be to thoroughly examine scholarly articles pertaining to consciousness and different theories of the mind. After gathering data and different ideas, I will create a definition that is plausible, and is optimized in terms of being useful to researchers. Currently, the issue is that there are an incredible amount of mental features that certain organisms have that may contribute to making them conscious. However, these features, such as emotion, thought, and willpower, have yet to be accumulated into a definition. Consciousness should, at the very least, involve a being's awareness, ability to think, and ability to feel. The main reason this research is important is due to the exponential growth rate of technology. Heading into the direction of sentient machines, we must know whether what we create is conscious or not, and how conscious it may be, in order to determine whether it may be dangerous or not. http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/peer2peer/vol1/iss2/8 2 Bateman: Defining Consciousness DEFINING CONSCIOUSNESS Bateman 3 Defining Consciousness There has been an incredible amount of research done over thought processes and awareness over the last 10 years. Almost all of it makes some sort of conclusion as to how people think and feel, and why they think and feel those ways. However, when it comes to consciousness, most of the research that has been conducted is just a small part of the much bigger idea. Without obtaining a definition that benefits research, mankind heads towards a dangerous area of uncertainty in technology. Imagine a futuristic world where members of the Robot’s Rights Activists Club (RRAC) advocate for their rights, and issues take 20 years to settle because the robots cannot be defined as conscious or not. Aside from saving time, this research would also improve decisions regarding ethical ramifications of mistreatment of organisms whose current consciousness levels cannot be determined. Consciousness needs to be defined, it must be useful, accurate, and measurable, and it must involve, at the very least, a being's awareness, ability to think, and ability to feel. Awareness The idea of consciousness is often closely related to awareness. While the definition of awareness is certainly a part of it, the concept of consciousness branches much further beyond simply being aware of one’s existence and surroundings. “Most scientists accept that attention can occur in the absence of awareness. But evidence for the opposite idea, that conscious awareness can exist without attention, has been less clear” (Sanders). The idea here is that for most of mankind’s history, awareness and attention have gone hand in hand in regard to their definitions and their usage. It is only recently that researchers have had to differentiate the two. The concept of being able to focus on a particular object and being aware of the existence of an object are two separate areas. It is theorized that one can focus on an object, or an idea, without Published by Scholars' Mine, 2017 3 S&T’s Peer to Peer, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 [2017], Art. 8 DEFINING CONSCIOUSNESS Bateman 4 really knowing what the object is, or if it even exists. Alternatively, attention without awareness is a feature of everyday life. The differentiation that Sanders makes between “awareness” and “conscious awareness” is the fact that conscious awareness most likely cannot exist without the attention of the person. It can then be theorized that one’s ability to focus may have an impact on determining whether one can be defined as conscious. Similarly, one’s ability to focus on themselves may have a significant impact on one’s level of consciousness. “Self-consciousness comes in varying degrees of self-awareness. Sometimes it merely involves a non-conscious thought awareness of one’s own mental states, and, sometimes, it comes in the form of conscious meta-psychological thoughts”(Gennaro 17). Gennaro is acknowledging the idea that one’s consciousness can be measured based on their knowledge of their own existence. These levels may range from a very basic knowledge of one’s emotions, to the ability to conceptualize thoughts that may not be empirically verifiable. Whether this spectrum of self awareness represents one’s level of consciousness, however, is still unclear. If not, it would be very easy to define a robot as fully conscious if it can express some sort of emotional response to a stimulus, or a plant as fully conscious if it can be proved that it feels pain. Applying the self-awareness spectrum would increase motivation to reach what might eventually defined as 100% consciousness in man-made machines. Attention and awareness are very important parts of consciousness. The very core of one being conscious is for one to be aware of themselves and their surroundings. In order for one to be aware of these things, one must also have even the slightest ability to pay attention and maintain focus, in order to firmly grasp ideas and truly have self-awareness. http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/peer2peer/vol1/iss2/8 4 Bateman: Defining Consciousness DEFINING CONSCIOUSNESS Bateman 5 Thought In order for an organism to be described as conscious, it must be able to know, and to think. Thinking, however, is a very difficult area, as it is impossible to determine whether a plant, a machine, or other living organisms are capable of thought. “We are still unable to explain why human beings think a precise way at a certain moment; however, thought is known by certain neurological mechanisms”(Turenne 15). Thinking is an incredibly complex human capability. Humans know t (...truncated)