Consciousness of Motivated, Emotional Mind

Abstract

The efficient functioning of the conscious mind requires motivation. Motivations are both the source and the reason for its development and sophistication. The motivation for intelligent activities is usually to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure. On the other hand, the implementation of complex life plans and the feeling of higher mental states requires motivation through curiosity and through a desire to learn and discover something new. A mind equipped with cognitive awareness has the ability to observe and assess the effects of its actions on the environment. Creating complex mental representations associating actions with distant impressions and effects allows for their emotional assessment. If bodily experiences are to give meaning to what an individual perceives and remembers, then he must be able to assess the value of his experiences for his own good. Using these experiences and learned knowledge an intelligent system gains the ability to take rational actions to achieve its goals, feel the pain and pleasure resulting from such actions, be sensitive to effects of his actions, be conscious. The analysis of one's own situation and the choice of the optimal mode of operation can be interpreted as implementations of the system's own will. The discussion of restrictions on the choices made indicates that this will of the system is by no means free will. Conscious being decisions depend on the momentary mental states in which the mind is in the process of deciding. They depend on the content of what he has in his memory at the moment, his current mood, available knowledge, his patience for analyzing different variants of behavior and ability to act. In addition to known ontological, physical, and biological limitations, and social (for social beings), there are significant limitations related to the content and structural organization of memory, created associations and beliefs shaped by life experiences and interactions with subconscious mind. Assessing the effects of the operation, satisfying, or not satisfying the needs of the system revealed in the above way creates complex emotional states. Structures and processes leading to the creation of emotions, motivating to rational action for the broadly understood own good, constitute a model of a fully conscious, motivated, emotional mind (MEM). Is the presented model really a reductive model? Do mental states even exist? The authors try to answer these and similar questions in this chapter.