Consciousness generates agent action

Jonathan Delafield-Butt; Colwyn Trevarthen

doi:10.1017/S0140525X2100203X

Consciousness generates agent action

Jonathan Delafield-Butt, Colwyn Trevarthen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

44 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Consciousness directs the actions of the agent for its own purposive gains. It re-organises a stimulus-response linear causality to deliver generative, creative agent action that evaluates the subsequent experience prospectively. This inversion of causality affords special properties of control that are not accounted for in integrated information theory (IIT), which is predicated on a linear, deterministic cause-effect model. IIT remains an incomplete, abstract, and disembodied theory without explanation of the psychobiology of consciousness that serves the vital agency the organism.

Original language	English
Article number	e44
Number of pages	6
Journal	Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Volume	45
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X2100203X
Publication status	Published - 23 Mar 2022

Keywords

agency
affects
action
consciousness
panpsychism
embodiment

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10.1017/S0140525X2100203X

Delafield-Butt-Trevarthen-BBS-2021-Consciousness-generates-agent-actionAccepted author manuscript, 121 KB

Cite this

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AB - Consciousness directs the actions of the agent for its own purposive gains. It re-organises a stimulus-response linear causality to deliver generative, creative agent action that evaluates the subsequent experience prospectively. This inversion of causality affords special properties of control that are not accounted for in integrated information theory (IIT), which is predicated on a linear, deterministic cause-effect model. IIT remains an incomplete, abstract, and disembodied theory without explanation of the psychobiology of consciousness that serves the vital agency the organism.

KW - agency

KW - affects

KW - action

KW - consciousness

KW - panpsychism

KW - embodiment

UR - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences

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SN - 0140-525X

VL - 45

JO - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

JF - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

M1 - e44

ER -

Consciousness generates agent action

Abstract

Keywords

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Consciousness generates agent action

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

The brainstem in autism: A pilot 7T MRI neuroimaging study (SINAPSE)

Living Organisms and Their Choices

Cite this