Consciousness

Abstract

Consciousness is notoriously difficult to define. Several things are meant by consciousness: sentience, self-awareness, wakefulness, phenomenal consciousness, and more. There are also several consciousness-related ontological, epistemological, and ethical questions, including questions about what consciousness is, what creatures are conscious, how we can know who is conscious, and, importantly, questions about the ethical significance of consciousness. This chapter provides a sketch of several philosophical and scientific theories of consciousness as an introduction to medical, scientific, and philosophical inquiries into consciousness and unconsciousness.