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Mind & Self

Thought, Consciousness, Brains and Machines

Adrian Brockless on the proper way to use the words ‘thought’ and ‘consciousness’.

The concept of thought is one with which people make mischief. Is thought to do with what it is like to have experiences? How can we know for sure that others think as we do? In what ways are thought and consciousness related? Can an unconscious entity think? Perhaps thought emerges from ever increasing degrees of computational sophistication? Yet there are machines that are capable of far more complex computational manoeuvres than human beings, but to which we do not accord thought.

A Solid Grounding in Thought

Both neuroscience and artificial intelligence require a clear understanding of the concepts of thought and consciousness. If they do not have this then, by definition, one cannot be clear about what such investigations reveal. But can philosophy really inform the kinds of scientific investigations now taking place in AI and neuroscience? Many believe not.

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