Katharine McGovern & Bernard J. Baars (1992) Consciousness Confounded
. Psycoloquy: 3(47) Consciousness (25)
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Psycoloquy 3(47): Consciousness Confounded
CONSCIOUSNESS CONFOUNDED
Commentary on Bridgeman on Consciousness
Katharine McGovern & Bernard J. Baars
The Wright Institute
Berkeley, CA 94710
baars@bayes.stanford.edu
Abstract
Bridgeman's effort to say something new or useful about
consciousness and language is flawed. His major theoretical
construct, the "plan," on which he depends to develop his arguments
is defined in at least four different ways. Consciousness, which is
variously described as the operation of the plan-executing
mechanism or the outcome of its operation, is relegated to a purely
epiphenomenal status with no psychological functions ascribed to
it. Finally, Bridgeman's discussion of perception as deriving from
the "plan-monitoring mechanism" leaves much that is known about
perception unaccounted for.
Keywords
consciousness, language, plans, motivation, evolution,
motor system
References