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Access for what? Reflective consciousness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2008

Michael Snodgrass
Affiliation:
Department of Adult Ambulatory Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. [email protected]@umich.edu
Scott A. Lepisto
Affiliation:
Department of Adult Ambulatory Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. [email protected]@umich.edu

Abstract

Can phenomenality without access occur? We suggest that the crucial issue is not to show phenomenality that cannot be accessed, but whether phenomenality sometimes simply is not accessed. Considering this question leads to positing a distinct, second form of consciousness: Reflective consciousness. The most important form of access is then from phenomenal (first-order) to reflective (second-order) consciousness.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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