Consciousness

Here are four basic ways people tend to use the word consciousness. If we're ever going to figure out what consciousness means, we must make sure not to confuse these different definitions or types of consciousness.

By the way, something else that people often associate with consciousness is intentionality. But here are the four basic types of consciousness:

1. Being awake

   People might say, "He lost consciousness."
   Being conscious is the opposite of being asleep or in a coma.

2. Knowing

   People might say, "I am conscious of that fact."
   Yes, consciousness means knowing, or being aware of something, or paying attention to something to a certain degree. Let's list several sub-categories here:

   1. Immediate awareness

      The person is actually thinking about something right now.

   2. Paying attention

      People can focus their attention on particular sensory inputs.

   3. Valuing or emphasizing

      People might say, "Let's raise the public's consciousness about the environment." Or they might say, "I am very conscious of the need for etiquette."

   4. Being deliberate

      People might say, "I didn't consciously break the law." In this case, consciousness implies will or planning.

3. Having feelings

   Philosophers might wonder, "Can a robot really appreciate the smell of a rose?" This is the issue of so-called qualia. It is related to emotion, including empathy.

4. Being self-aware

   Philosophers might ask, "Is a dog conscious? Is a mosquito? How about a bacterium?" This means you are aware of yourself as an observer of the world. This is what we're really trying to define and clarify. I call this "self-reflective consciousness."