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Neural computations underlying phenomenal consciousness : a higher order syntactic thought theory
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Rolls, Edmund T. (2020) Neural computations underlying phenomenal consciousness : a higher order syntactic thought theory. Frontiers in Psychology, 11 . 655. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00655
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WRAP-Neural-computations-phenomenal-consciousness-higher-order-thought-Rolls-2020.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (884Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00655
Abstract
Problems are raised with the global workspace hypothesis of consciousness, for example about exactly how global the workspace needs to be for consciousness to suddenly be present. Problems are also raised with Carruthers's (2019) version that excludes conceptual (categorical or discrete) representations, and in which phenomenal consciousness can be reduced to physical processes, with instead a different levels of explanation approach to the relation between the brain and the mind advocated. A different theory of phenomenal consciousness is described, in which there is a particular computational system involved in which Higher Order Syntactic Thoughts are used to perform credit assignment on first order thoughts of multiple step plans to correct them by manipulating symbols in a syntactic type of working memory. This provides a good evolutionary reason for the evolution of this kind of computational module, with which, it is proposed, phenomenal consciousness is associated. Some advantages of this HOST approach to phenomenal consciousness are then described with reference not only to the global workspace approach, but also to Higher Order Thought (HOT) theories. It is hypothesized that the HOST system which requires the ability to manipulate first order symbols in working memory might utilize parts of the prefrontal cortex implicated in working memory, and especially the left inferior frontal gyrus, which is involved in language and probably syntactical processing. Overall, the approach advocated is to identify the computations that are linked to consciousness, and to analyze the neural bases of those computations. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2020 Rolls.]
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
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| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Electronic computers. Computer science. Computer software Q Science > QP Physiology |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Science > Computer Science | ||||||||
| SWORD Depositor: | Library Publications Router | ||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Computational complexity, Computable functions, Consciousness, Computational neuroscience , Computational intelligence | ||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Frontiers in Psychology | ||||||||
| Publisher: | Frontiers Research Foundation | ||||||||
| ISSN: | 1664-1078 | ||||||||
| Official Date: | 7 April 2020 | ||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Date of first compliant deposit: | 17 June 2020 | ||||||||
| Volume: | 11 | ||||||||
| Article Number: | 655 | ||||||||
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00655 | ||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
| Publisher Statement: | ** From PubMed via Jisc Publications Router ** History: received 12-01-2020; accepted 18-03-2020. | ||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Open Access |
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