Psychology Mind And Consciousness Essay - 1467 Words

MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS Name: Institution: Mind and Consciousness Questions Consciousness is the state of being aware of one’s environment and one’s own sensations and thoughts or in a nutshell, the state of being awake and aware of one’s surroundings. The mind on the other hand is the element of a person that gives them the ability to be aware of the world and their experiences, to feel and even to think. Scholars seek to explain the connection of the two by pointing out that consciousness is the relationship between the mind and the environment with which it interacts. John Searle defines consciousness to consist of inner, qualitative, subjective states and processes of sentience or awareness. The subjectivity of consciousness is one of the issues that John Searle seeks to clarify. He argues out that consciousness is subject to some human or animal. All conscious states according to him have first person ontology and not third person ontology therefore they can only exist when experienced by some human or animal agent and it is therefo re subject to the existence of a human or animal. I.e. it is dependent on the existence of an agent (human or animal) (Searle, 1980). Searle also points out that consciousness is purely a biological process in that is exclusively caused by neurobiological progressions and is realized in the brain structures. He however argues that it is different from other biological phenomena due to its qualitativeness, intentionality,Show MoreRelatedCartesian Dualism And Transhumanism : Theories Within Their Time Contexts1510 Words   |  7 Pagesis the location for thought, consciousness, and the Cartesian Theatre, and controls the actions of the material body. 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Related to perception and conception of the world and explainsRead MoreResearch Paper on William James and Functionalism1230 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist who had trained as a physician. He was the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. James wrote influential books on pragmatism, psychology, educational psychology, the psychology of religious experience, and mysticism. He was the brother of novelist Henry James and of diarist Alice James. In the summer of 1878, William James married Alice Gibbens. WilliamRead MoreThe Historical History Of American Psychology Essay1091 Words   |  5 PagesThe historical underpinnings of American psychology came by way of Francis Bacon and John Stuart Mill philosophy, Charles Darwin evolutionary biology, Chauncey Wright evolutionary psychology, and Wilhelm Wundt volunteer psychology generally (Green, 2009; Wright, 1873). 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And the third is that it is the study of the mind, the conscious and unconscious mental states that cannot be seen but inferredRead MoreWilliam James And Early American Psychology997 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam James and Early American Psychology When one thinks of American psychology, one cannot help but think of William James. James’s contributions to psychology remain influential to this day. For starters, he helped move American psychology away from philosophy and towards a science. Although not a laboratory scientist, James is considered one of the founders of American psychology because of his scientific ideas. James proposed that a habit is developed as a result of our complex nervous systemsRead MoreMargaret F. Washburn : An American Psychologist Whose Work For Vassar College987 Words   |  4 Pages with primary studies in philosophy and science, Washburn quickly became a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority at Vassar College (Abhinav, 2012). She pursued graduate studies with James McKeen Cattell, an establisher of a new laboratory of psychology at Columbia University. Women were not then allowed entry into graduate school at Columbia, however Washburn was permitted to register as a class observer. After a year spent at Columbia, Washburn took Cattell s advice and applied to work withRead MoreThe Fundamental Existence Of Consciousness1388 Words   |  6 Pagesask if consciousness be active in our daily lives when it is the fundamental fact of human existence. But there are many reasons why most psychologists have avoided discussing consciousness both of which are of complex reasoning and of historical weight. In their research and clinical practice, psychologists have learned a great deal about various aspects of consciousness, such as perception, mental imagery, thinking, memory, and emotion. But when it begins to boil down to it consciousness is oneRead MoreStructuralism vs Functionalism780 Words   |  4 Pages Functionalism Jessica A. Brooks Psychology 426 August 14, 2009 Structuralism vs. Functionalism Structuralism and functionalism investigate the human mind and use the mind as the subject of every study. They are also both are concerned with the conscious self. While they share some similarities, they also show some variation. Structuralism focuses on â€Å"revealing the most basic structures or components of the mind† (Zimbardo, 2006). Functionalism, on the other handRead MoreEssay about Mind/Body Problem in Philosophy767 Words   |  4 PagesRunning head: MIND/BODY PROBLEM IN PHILOSOPHY Mind/Body Problem in Philosophy Barbara Buchanan University of Phoenix Mind/Body Problem in Philosophy The History of Psychology plays a big role in the interest of Psychology and Philosophy today. Several theories have been developed and refined over the hundreds of years of history in Philosophy and Psychology. Included in this report will be the discussion of the realm of the mind and consciousness, the mind and consciousness in relation