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