What Is the Meta-Problem of Consciousness?

TL;DR

The meta-problem of consciousness seeks to explain why we perceive consciousness as a problem. This involves finding an algorithmic explanation for our intuitions and reports regarding consciousness, which could help illuminate the hard problem of consciousness and its implications. Overall, it aims to understand our beliefs about the nature of consciousness and why we find it puzzling.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] DAVID CHALMERS: Thanks for coming out. It's good to be here. As Eric said, I am a philosopher thinking about consciousness. Coming from a background in the sciences and math, it always struck me that the most interesting and hardest unsolved problem in the sciences was the problem of consciousness. And way back 25 years ago when I w... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤘 The meta-problem of consciousness is a research program that aims to explain our problem intuitions and reports about consciousness.
• 🙂 Solutions to the meta-problem can shed light on the hard problem of consciousness and potentially debunk certain beliefs about consciousness.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the meta-problem of consciousness?

The meta-problem of consciousness is the problem of explaining why we think there is a problem about consciousness.

Q: How does the meta-problem relate to the hard problem of consciousness?

The meta-problem sheds light on the hard problem of consciousness by exploring our problem intuitions and reports about consciousness.

Q: What is the research program for the meta-problem of consciousness?

The research program involves finding an algorithmic explanation for our problem intuitions and problem reports about consciousness.

Q: Can the meta-problem be solved by illusionism?

The meta-problem can be solved by illusionism, as it explains our beliefs about consciousness as an illusion. However, this view is not universally accepted and is subject to criticism.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The meta-problem of consciousness is the problem of explaining why we think there is a problem about consciousness.

• This research program aims to find an algorithmic explanation for our problem intuitions and problem reports about consciousness.

• The meta-problem can shed light on the hard problem of consciousness and provide insights into the nature of consciousness.