Abstract

CANAL, Rodrigo  and  MORAES, João Antonio de. Chalmers and Searle in studies of consciousness: an advance?. Ciênc. cogn. [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.2, pp. 262-275. ISSN 1806-5821.

This paper aims at showing and discussing the possible contributions of David Chalmers and John Searle to the studies of consciousness. These philosophers have developed theories that seek a wide, serious and deep understanding of what consciousness would be. Questions as: "what the nature of consciousness?" "What mechanisms are responsible for it arise?" guide the studies in Cognitive Science and Philosophy of Mind. Chalmers develops his theory departing the hypothesis that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon from the physics properties, but not reducible to them. He supports his theory on the search the for solution of what he calls for hard problem of consciousness, that consists in the problem of explaining the nature of experience. On the other hand, John Searle starts from the assumption that consciousness constitutes "a biological problem", not a metaphysical mystery. Then, consciousness is considered by him as an emergent causal property of brain. In conclusion, we point out and discuss on a possible advance that both theories of consciousness permit, at least, to formulating the relevant questions for the contemporary studies of consciousness

Keywords : consciousness; Naturalistic dualism; strutucture of consciousness; David Chalmers; John Searle.

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