Consciousness Definition


DallasCowboys

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Hey all,

This semester I am taking my third philosophy class and this one focuses on Metaphysics. Today the lecture centered on the perception of reality and its existence and I must admit I am little confused on how Ayn Rand explains reality. I understand that A is A and that reality exists regardless of someones perspective, so I got that part down. What I am confused about is how she proves reality exists in the first place. Everything I find boils down to the word Consciousness and I don't really understand how she defines the word.

Thanks,

David C.

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Reality exists is an axiom. No proof is possible for no evidence can be adduced for it from outside reality. There is no "outside."

The epistemological axiom is you exist with a consciousness capable of apprehending this. See ITOE for Rand's explanation of consciousness, but it's gotta be in Galt's speech.

The basic fallacy of your class(?) is implicitly dividing the two axioms and not considering one at all--if that's what's going on. That would mean an improper approach to metaphysics. No axiom, no metaphysics and no understanding what is being talked about. Have you had a class on axioms upon which this class is based? If that class is to follow, the prof. and his course are incompetent (for that would require reference to a competence). Most of them are for without incompetence most would have no job. Most of philosophy is incompetent but they teach it regardless and not as incompetent. So one diligently learns 43 ways of philosophical incompetence. If you bring up Rand, it must be opening the door to ha, ha, ha, sneer, sneer, sneer, condescension galore and or merely a quick dismissal.

Philosophy's the last thing I'd ever study in college. Philosophy--not political philosophy. Objectivism101 qua a philosophy needs one semester--two if you have to read the novels. Objectivism201/202 would be a critique of Orthodox Objectivism--as many semesters as you want. There's that much of it.

--Brant

science explains reality, not philosophy--philosophy explains an approach to reality as in the philosophy of science--and everything else

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My answer, which I think is the standard Objectivist line as well, is that these are not the kind of claims that you prove. Proof derives a particular fact about the world from other facts. Thus "how do you prove that the world / fact / reality exists?" misapplies the concept of proof and gets you into an infinite regress.

Maybe you mean "how do you prove validity of the senses / actuality of the external world?" Rand observed that consciousness is necessarily consciousness of some object; consciousness without an object is a contradiction in terms. The solipsist might come back with the observation that we can be deceived about what we see or remember, and he might point out well-established cases of illusion or bad memory (and I don't mean that guy at NBC). This would be an example of what Rand calls a stolen concept. In pointing out the evidence the solipsist assumes the validity of the senses (the evidence of these experiments) in order to deny it.

On this last question, Branden devoted an entire lecture to the stolen concept in his NBI basic course. The lectures are available as a book, so this might be a good source.

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Think hierarchically.

Humans are part of existence. Existence is not part of humans, meaning that existence is the container for humans and is humans at the same time.

Existence does not need consciousness to exist. It is everything that is, was and will be.

Humans, though, need consciousness to perceive existence. That's why they get confused over this.

But think about it, human. How do you prove your container is a container?

You are in it!

You can't get out and still be a human.

:smile:

Michael

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David,

To answer your question: Consciousness is "the faculty of perceiving that which exists."

Here is the relevant quote from ITOE (as quoted from the Ayn Rand Lexicon):

Consciousness is the faculty of awareness—the faculty of perceiving that which exists.

Awareness is not a passive state, but an active process. On the lower levels of awareness, a complex neurological process is required to enable man to experience a sensation and to integrate sensations into percepts; that process is automatic and non-volitional: man is aware of its results, but not of the process itself. On the higher, conceptual level, the process is psychological, conscious and volitional. In either case, awareness is achieved and maintained by continuous action.
Directly or indirectly, every phenomenon of consciousness is derived from one’s awareness of the external world. Some object, i.e., some content, is involved in every state of awareness. Extrospection is a process of cognition directed outward—a process of apprehending some existent(s) of the external world. Introspection is a process of cognition directed inward—a process of apprehending one’s own psychological actions in regard to some existent(s) of the external world, such actions as thinking, feeling, reminiscing, etc. It is only in relation to the external world that the various actions of a consciousness can be experienced, grasped, defined or communicated. Awareness is awareness of something. A content-less state of consciousness is a contradiction in terms.

Darrell

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  • 3 weeks later...

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