Intro to cognitive neuroscience: Please be detailed when explaining !! 4. The te

Question

Intro to cognitive neuroscience:
Please be detailed when explaining !! 4. The terms supervenience and token identity theory are two premises in cognitive science that are compatible with psychological constructionism, which we discussed in relation to the brain basis of emotion. However, consciousness has also been explained from these premises. Cite THREE definitions of consciousness, one that is compatible with token identity theory, one that is compatible with supervenience, and finally one that is purely physicalistic.

Explanation / Answer

Type physicalism is a physicalistic theory, which uses an entirely physical premises to explain consciousness. It argues that mental events can be grouped into types and they can then be correlated with types of physical events in the brain. For example, one type of mental event, such as "mental pains" will, presumably, turn out to be describing one type of physical event.

This has further been opposed by the token identity theory which tends to assert that mental categories are less likely to stable enough for having biological correlates. When we talk of consciousness, medical experts have explained it in terms of a patient’s arousal and responsiveness. This is seen on a spectrum that spans from alertness and responsiveness to disorientation and delirium, etc. On the other hand, philosophers and other research scholars including some pioneer workers have given a completely different picture to explain the concept of consciousness. Consciousness is the state or quality of awareness, or, of being aware of an external object or something within oneself. It is often said that this can be strengthened through consistent practices like meditation. With the coming up of artificial intelligence the topic has been much debated and it is argued whether the existence and non existence is a factor that determines consciousness or can it not be understood through physical or mental characteristics. And if not, then how else can it be explained as clearly as possible is what is being researched. While explaining supervenience on the other hand, philosophers usually construe the concept as relation between classes of properties, where a class of properties, F, supervenes on a class of properties, G, just in case there is no difference in F-properties without some difference in G-properties. As David Lewis puts it, “no difference of one sort without differences of another sort” The inherent belief that it relies upon is that mental characteristics are in some sense dependent, or supervenient, on physical characteristics. Such supervenience might be taken to assert that there cannot be two events alike in all physical respects but differing in some mental respect, or that an object cannot alter/change in some mental respect without altering in some physical respect thereafter. This shows a great correlation and interdependence between the physical and mental self of being and is said to culminate into the consciousness overall.

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