Consciousness
The subjective quality of experience—what it's like to be something. Phenomenal consciousness is qualitative experience (qualia); access consciousness is information availability for reasoning. The hard problem (Chalmers): why does physical processing give rise to subjective experience? Easy problems concern functions (discrimination, attention). Theories include materialism, dualism, panpsychism, and illusionism. Consciousness involves self-awareness, intentionality, and unity. The concept is central to philosophy of mind, ethics (which beings deserve moral consideration?), and AI. Mystery remains despite scientific progress.
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Panpsychism
View that consciousness or mind-like qualities are fundamental and ubiquitous in nature. All matter has …
Phenomenology
Philosophical method studying consciousness and experience as they appear to us. Founded by Husserl, phenomenology …
Idealism
Metaphysical view that reality is fundamentally mental or experiential. Berkeley's subjective idealism: to be is …
Emergence
Phenomenon where complex systems exhibit properties not present in components. Strong emergence: higher-level properties are …
Materialism
Metaphysical view that only physical matter exists; mental states reduce to brain states. Eliminative materialism …
Collective Unconscious
Jungian concept of the deepest layer of unconscious shared by all humans. The collective unconscious …
Empiricism
Epistemological view that knowledge comes from sensory experience. Empiricists like Locke, Berkeley, and Hume reject …
Dualism
Metaphysical view that mind and body are distinct substances. Cartesian substance dualism: mind (res cogitans) …
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