What do we know about consciousness? | Gerda Andringa | TEDxUniversityCollegeRoosevelt

Key Concepts

• Dualism: The belief that the mind and brain are separate entities.
• Monism: The belief that the brain is the sole reality, and consciousness is a product of it.
• Physicalism: A type of monism that asserts everything is physical.
• Consciousness as a Function: The idea that consciousness is a complex function of the brain, similar to how sitting is a function of a chair.
• Subconscious Processing: Mental processes that occur without conscious awareness.
• Long-Term Planning and Problem Solving: A proposed key function of consciousness.
• Altruistic Decision Making: Making decisions that benefit others, even at a cost to oneself.
• Evolutionary Psychology: A field that explains behavior through evolutionary principles.

Dualism vs. Monism: Two Perspectives on Consciousness

The talk begins by addressing the fundamental question of the relationship between the brain and consciousness, framing it as one of the biggest questions in science. Two main perspectives are presented:

• Dualism: This view posits that there are two distinct realities: a physical brain and a non-physical mind. This aligns with "common sense dualism," where we perceive ourselves as having a mind that steers our physical brain. The speaker notes that dualism is also related to religious beliefs about the soul leaving the body after death. However, neuroscientific studies, such as those involving brain stimulation, challenge this separation by showing that stimulating certain brain areas can create the feeling of conscious decisions even when no decision was actually made.
• Monism: This perspective argues that the brain is all that exists, and consciousness is a product of the brain's activity. Physicalists, a subset of monists, believe that everything is physical. The speaker acknowledges that it seems difficult to reconcile complex subjective experiences like pain, love, and identity with a purely physical explanation.

Consciousness as a Complex Function

To bridge the gap between the seemingly simple physical brain and the complex phenomenon of consciousness, the speaker proposes a thought experiment using the analogy of a wooden chair.

• The Chair Analogy: A chair has a physical structure and composition that gives it the function of being sat upon. The function is directly related to the physical properties.
• The Computer Analogy: Computers are complex man-made structures with complex functions. While some might argue for computer consciousness, most people don't believe computers are conscious.
• Applying the Analogy to the Brain: Just as a chair's function is related to its structure and a computer's function is related to its complex structure, consciousness can be seen as a complex function of the brain's complex structure. This view doesn't reduce consciousness to nothing or separate it from the brain, but recognizes it as a real and mind-blowing function.

The Rarity and Cost of Consciousness

The speaker emphasizes that consciousness is not a constant state but rather a relatively rare and resource-intensive process.

• Subconscious Dominance: Most of our brain activity is subconscious. Examples include driving or biking on autopilot, where complex actions are performed without conscious awareness. Even complex tasks like chess playing rely heavily on subconscious rules and patterns.
• Time and Energy Consumption: Consciousness is time-consuming and requires significant energy and brain space. This raises the question of why we need consciousness at all, given the efficiency of subconscious processing.

The Function of Consciousness: Long-Term Planning and Altruism

The speaker proposes that the primary function of consciousness is long-term planning and problem-solving, particularly in the realm of altruistic decision-making.

• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Decisions: Short-term decisions (e.g., choosing between chocolate milk and beer) are often driven by biases, emotions, and past experiences, all of which can be processed subconsciously. Long-term decisions (e.g., career choices, ethical dilemmas) require moral judgments, ethics, and personal values, which are facilitated by consciousness.
• Altruism and Consciousness: The speaker argues that consciousness is crucial for altruistic behavior, which goes beyond simple evolutionary explanations based on genetic relatedness or reward and punishment. Consciousness allows us to consider the well-being of strangers, future generations, and to act with compassion rather than self-interest.
• Consciousness as a Driver for a Better World: The speaker concludes that consciousness, as a complex function of the brain, can drive us to create a more equitable and better world by enabling altruistic decision-making and fostering compassion.

Conclusion

The talk presents a compelling argument for viewing consciousness not as a separate entity but as a complex and vital function of the brain. This function is particularly important for long-term planning and altruistic decision-making, enabling us to transcend innate patterns and create a better world. While acknowledging the limitations of current scientific understanding, the speaker emphasizes the importance of studying the functions of consciousness to gain deeper insights into its role in shaping human behavior and society.