PHENOMENAL CONSCIOUSNESS AS AN EVOLUTIONARY INVENTION: EXPLAINING THE POSITIVE FUNCTION OF ILLUSIONISM

• Authors: Marcinčinová Katarína
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The article’s main objective is to analyse the positive aspect of illusionism and the so-called “illusion problem” that lies at its heart – the problem of explaining the origin and causes of the illusion of phenomenal consciousness. I argue that a key aspect of the illusion problem is explaining the function of the illusion of phenomenal consciousness. Some authors suggest that the illusion probably has no particular function but is a by-product of introspection. Whereas others have pointed out that it has played an important role in the evolution of consciousness. I focus on Nicholas Humphrey’s evolutionary theory of consciousness, “phenomenal surrealism,” in emphasizing this crucial part of the illusionist program.

Keywords

EN

CONSCIOUSNESS; HUMPHREY NICHOLAS; ILLUSIONISM; PHENOMENAL SURREALISM

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Filozofia (Philosophy)
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 79
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 195 – 211

Contributors

author

Marcinčinová Katarína

• Filozofická fakulta, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Gondova ulica 2, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9272-2091

Identifiers

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31577/filozofia.2024.79.2.6