Consciousness

"Consciousness is the faculty of awareness—the faculty of perceiving that which exists."

The Axiom

Consciousness is the faculty of perceiving that which exists. It is not a passive state but an active process of identification. Consciousness is always consciousness OF something - it requires an object. A consciousness conscious of nothing but itself is a contradiction in terms.

Key principle: To be conscious is to be conscious of something

Nature of Consciousness

Consciousness is:

Consciousness is NOT:

Levels of Consciousness

Sensory Level

Perceptual Level

Conceptual Level

Primacy of Existence vs. Primacy of Consciousness

The crucial principle: Existence has primacy over consciousness

Primacy of Existence (Correct)

Primacy of Consciousness (False)

Validation of Consciousness

Consciousness cannot be "proven" because any proof would require consciousness. Instead, it is an axiom - self-evident and undeniable:

Any attempt to deny consciousness uses consciousness:

Consciousness and Free Will

Human consciousness at the conceptual level is volitional:

The choice to think or not to think is the fundamental choice that makes all other choices possible. This is why humans need morality - because we must choose our actions.

Common Errors

"Consciousness is just brain chemistry"
This commits the fallacy of reductionism. Yes, consciousness requires a brain (in humans), but consciousness as experienced cannot be reduced to neural firings any more than a symphony can be reduced to air vibrations.

"Consciousness creates reality"
This is Primacy of Consciousness - refuted by the fact that reality doesn't conform to wishes. If consciousness created reality, whose consciousness? Why can't you wish away pain or create wealth by thinking?

"We can't know if others are conscious"
This is the "problem of other minds" - but it's a pseudo-problem. We observe that entities similar to us (other humans) act in ways consistent with consciousness. To demand Cartesian certainty about others' consciousness while accepting your own is arbitrary.

"AI could be conscious"
Current AI lacks the biological basis of consciousness. It processes information but doesn't have awareness. There's a fundamental difference between processing symbols and being aware of meaning.

Consciousness and Knowledge

Consciousness makes knowledge possible:

But consciousness is also fallible:

This is why we need a method of cognition - logic based on the Law of Non-Contradiction.

Foundation for Individual Rights

Consciousness - specifically rational consciousness - is the foundation of individual rights:

Self-ownership

Because you possess rational consciousness, you own yourself. You are capable of directing your own life through chosen thinking and action.

Argumentation Ethics

Arguments presuppose that the participants are conscious beings capable of grasping arguments. This validates property rights and non-aggression.

Need for Freedom

Because human consciousness is volitional and fallible, humans need freedom to think, judge, and act. This leads to The Non-aggression Principle.

Consciousness and Economics

Consciousness is central to economics:

The Axiom's Invulnerability

Like all axioms, consciousness cannot be denied without self-contradiction. As explored in Axioms as Invulnerable, any denial of consciousness must use consciousness, thereby affirming it.

The three axioms - Existence, Identity, and Consciousness - form an indivisible trinity:

Together, they form the foundation of all knowledge, making possible logic, science, ethics, and ultimately human flourishing through voluntary cooperation.