Horace Barlow (1992) Consciousness and Culture . Psycoloquy: 3(43) Consciousness (24)
Versions: ASCII formatted
Psycoloquy 3(43): Consciousness and Culture

CONSCIOUSNESS AND CULTURE
Commentary on Bridgeman on Consciousness

Horace Barlow
Physiological Laboratory
Downing St
Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK

AECP1@PHOENIX.CAMBRIDGE.AC.UK

Abstract

Bridgeman agrees that consciousness is bootstrapped by other brains but he argues that it then becomes autonomous and hence that it is possible to examine it in a single brain. If one does so one should be aware that the method can tell one little or nothing about important aspects of the object of study, which stems from the fact that the most important aspect of consciousness is that it is the medium through which the social culture within which we live is transmitted and developed. If you study consciousness in an isolated brain, you will be studying a biological phenomenon divorced from its extraordinarily potent role in our evolution.

Keywords

consciousness, language, plans, motivation, evolution, motor system

References