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Awareness may be existence as well as (higher-order) thought

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2000

Jordan B. Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G3 peterson@psych.utoronto.ca psych.utoronto.ca/~peterson/welcome.htm

Abstract

Rolls attributes to consciousness the functions of reflection, planning, and error-correction. Neuropsychologically grounded cybernetic theory provides an analogous, broader conceptualization: consciousness constructs goals (and plans), alters the valence of goal-related phenomena, registers error-signals, and explores unexpected circumstances (reconfiguring goals and plans as necessary). Consciousness plays a fundamental unrecognized ontological role, as well, conferring the status of “discriminable object” on select aspects of otherwise indeterminate “being.”

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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