Consciousness — The Uncomfortable Unknown — 3 Reasons Why Philosophers, Biologists, and AI Experts Are Wary of the Term ‘Consciousness’.pdf

The “Hard Problem” of Consciousness
Consciousness — It’s a concept that sits at the intersection of multiple fields — philosophy, biology, and artificial intelligence — and despite decades of study, it remains a profound enigma.

When someone mentions “consciousness,” they aren’t just referring to awareness or thought. They’re touching on the essence of subjective experience — the mysterious inner world that each of us navigates daily.

But why does this word spark fear, hesitation, or even avoidance among experts?

What is it about consciousness that leaves philosophers baffled, biologists scratching their heads, and AI researchers nervously speculating about the future?

The challenge lies in the fact that consciousness defies easy explanation. It forces us to confront the limitations of our knowledge, the boundaries of science, and the ethical implications of advanced technology. In this post, we’ll explore why philosophers, biologists, and AI experts alike find consciousness so daunting — each for reasons as complex as the mystery itself.

Dangers of Perfect Definition When Dealing with Super-complex Topics
Rather than fixating on an unattainable standard of perfection in defining consciousness, we should embrace a more pragmatic approach.

Our goal should be to develop a functional definition — a solid foundation from which we can construct our understanding. While this definition may not capture every nuance, it offers us a clear and practical starting point.
The “Hard Problem” of Consciousness
Philosophers are particularly troubled by consciousness because it transcends traditional material explanations. As David Chalmers famously said, “The hard problem of consciousness is explaining how and why we have qualia, or phenomenal experiences” (Chalmers, 1995). In other words, even if we understand how the brain processes information, we still don’t understand why those processes are accompanied by conscious experience.
The “Hard Problem” of Consciousness
Philosophers are particularly troubled by consciousness because it transcends traditional material explanations. As David Chalmers famously said, “The hard problem of consciousness is explaining how and why we have qualia, or phenomenal experiences” (Chalmers, 1995). In other words, even if we understand how the brain processes information, we still don’t understand why those processes are accompanied by conscious experience.

The Puzzle of Consciousness in Nature
Biologists struggle with consciousness because it doesn’t neatly fit into evolutionary theory, at least not in the same way that physical traits like limbs or camouflage do.

Evolutionary theory explains behaviors, but it’s silent on why organisms feel things.

1. Member-only story
Consciousness — The
Uncomfortable Unknown — 3
Reasons Why Philosophers,
Biologists, and AI Experts Are Wary
of the Term ‘Consciousness’
Unpacking the Fear, Exploring the Anxiety Around ‘Consciousness’
Yogesh Malik
Published inSubtleties of Things & Non-things·5 min read·Sep 9, 2024
42 1
Search Write

2. Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

3. Consciousness — It’s a concept that sits at the intersection of multiple fields
— philosophy, biology, and artificial intelligence — and despite decades of
study, it remains a profound enigma.
When someone mentions “consciousness,” they aren’t just referring to
awareness or thought. They’re touching on the essence of subjective
experience — the mysterious inner world that each of us navigates daily.
But why does this word spark fear, hesitation, or even avoidance among
experts?
What is it about consciousness that leaves philosophers baffled, biologists
scratching their heads, and AI researchers nervously speculating about the future?
The challenge lies in the fact that consciousness defies easy explanation. It
forces us to confront the limitations of our knowledge, the boundaries of
science, and the ethical implications of advanced technology. In this post,
we’ll explore why philosophers, biologists, and AI experts alike find
consciousness so daunting — each for reasons as complex as the mystery
itself.

4. Dangers of Perfect Definition When Dealing with Super-complex Topics
Rather than fixating on an unattainable standard of perfection in defining
consciousness, we should embrace a more pragmatic approach.
Our goal should be to develop a functional definition — a solid foundation
from which we can construct our understanding. While this definition may
not capture every nuance, it offers us a clear and practical starting point.
Navigating Super Complex Topics: The Imperfection of
Definitions
Did you know that the dictionary — a seemingly neutral guardian of
language — is a battleground of biases, judgments…
futuremonger.com
1. Philosophers: —
The “Hard Problem” of Consciousness
Philosophers are particularly troubled by consciousness because it
transcends traditional material explanations. As David Chalmers famously

5. said, “The hard problem of consciousness is explaining how and why we
have qualia, or phenomenal experiences” (Chalmers, 1995). In other words,
even if we understand how the brain processes information, we still don’t
understand why those processes are accompanied by conscious experience.
Example: The Zombie Thought Experiment
Chalmers proposed a thought experiment involving “philosophical zombies,”
which are hypothetical beings identical to humans in every way, except they
lack conscious experience.
They behave exactly like humans — they react to
stimuli, express emotions, and make decisions — but
there’s “nobody home” inside.
This idea terrifies philosophers because it suggests that consciousness may
not be necessary for intelligent behavior, throwing into question centuries of
philosophical assumptions about mind, self, and agency.
Thomas Nagel’s “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”
Philosopher Thomas Nagel also highlights the mystery of consciousness in
his essay “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?” (1974). Nagel argues that subjective

6. experience (what it’s like for an organism to be itself) is beyond the reach of
objective science.
No matter how much we learn about a bat’s sensory
systems or brain functions, we’ll never truly know
what it feels like to navigate the world using
echolocation.
This subjective dimension of experience is what haunts philosophers
because it suggests that science alone may never fully explain
consciousness.
Consciousness Is Nothing But …
Consciousness: A Paradoxical Phenomenon That Eludes Definition
medium.com

7. 2. Biologists:-
The Puzzle of Consciousness in Nature
Biologists struggle with consciousness because it doesn’t neatly fit into
evolutionary theory, at least not in the same way that physical traits like
limbs or camouflage do.
Evolutionary theory explains behaviors, but it’s silent on why organisms
feel things.
The Evolutionary “Excess” of Consciousness
One way biologists approach the problem is by questioning whether
consciousness is an evolutionary byproduct — something that evolved for
other reasons but has no clear adaptive function.
Some theorists propose that consciousness is an epiphenomenon, meaning
it’s a byproduct of complex brain processes, much like steam from a train’s
engine.

8. Others argue it might offer some adaptive advantages, such as enhancing
decision-making or social interactions, but the lack of clear evidence makes
this an ongoing debate.
Christof Koch and the Search for Neural Correlates of Consciousness
Neuroscientist Christof Koch, who has studied the biological basis of
consciousness, states: “It remains unclear how anything like feelings or
subjective experience arise out of complex neuronal computations” (Koch,
2004).
Koch’s work on the “neural correlates of consciousness” (NCC) aims to
pinpoint which brain activities are associated with conscious experience.
Despite significant progress in understanding these correlates, the exact
mechanism that gives rise to consciousness remains a mystery.
This uncertainty bothers biologists because it suggests a gap in our
understanding of nature itself.
3. AI Experts:-

9. Consciousness and Machine Intelligence
For AI experts, the fear surrounding consciousness stems from both
philosophical and ethical concerns.
Could we inadvertently create machines that are not just intelligent, but also
conscious? And if so, what responsibilities would we have toward them?
Artificial Intelligence and The Hard Problems of Consciousness
Will Artificial Intelligence Solve The Hard Problem of
Consciousness?
futuremonger.com
The Ethics of Machine Consciousness
One haunting thought experiment in AI ethics is Nick Bostrom’s “Simulation
Argument” (2003), which suggests we might already be living in a simulated
reality, created by a superintelligent entity.
While this touches on AI and consciousness in a speculative way, it raises
deep concerns: if we can simulate consciousness, does that mean future
machines could actually be conscious?

10. Could we be morally obligated to treat them as
sentient beings?
Moreover, consider OpenAI’s GPT models and other advanced machine
learning systems.
They simulate human conversation but aren’t conscious.
However, if AI reaches a level of sophistication where it mimics emotions,
decision-making, or awareness convincingly, where do we draw the line?
Cracking the Consciousness Code: Understanding the Fear that
Grips Philosophers and AI Experts
Why Philosophers and AI Experts Shudder at the Thought of
Consciousness
futuremonger.com
Alan Turing and the Imitation Game
Even Alan Turing, the father of modern AI, sidestepped the question of
consciousness. Instead, in his famous paper “Computing Machinery and
Intelligence” (1950), he proposed the Turing Test, focusing on whether a

11. machine could imitate human intelligence well enough to deceive a human
observer.
Turing was less concerned with whether machines could be conscious and
more interested in their ability to act as if they were conscious. This
pragmatic approach has led to today’s AI systems focusing on performance
over subjective awareness, but the question of whether consciousness might
“emerge” remains unsettling for AI researchers.
Conclusion: The Uncomfortable Unknown
In summary, philosophers, biologists, and AI experts share a discomfort
with the word “consciousness” because it seems to lie just outside the
boundaries of what their respective fields can comfortably explain.
For philosophers, it challenges the limits of rational thought.
For biologists, it resists easy categorization within evolutionary theory.

12. For AI experts, it presents ethical dilemmas that could redefine our relationship
with machines.
Each field approaches the problem differently, but the unease is palpable
across all disciplines.
This lingering uncertainty about consciousness taps into something deeper
— the fear of the unknown, the limits of human understanding, and the
unsettling prospect that some mysteries might always elude us.
The Weight of Being Aware: Understanding the Burden of
Consciousness
Navigating the Pressure of Awareness
medium.com
Consciousness Philosophy Of Mind The Hard Problem Existentialism
Awareness

13. Written by Yogesh Malik
1.1K Followers·Editor for Subtleties of Things & Non-things
Exponential Thinker, Lifelong Learner #Digital #Philosophy #Future #ArtificialIntelligence
https://FutureMonger.com/
Edit profile
More from Yogesh Malik and Subtleties of Things & Non-things

14. in
The Deep Dive Dilemma: Weighing
the Opportunity Cost of Expertise…
Deep Thinking in a Shallow World: Balancing
Expertise and AI-Assisted Knowledge
4d ago
in
The Psychological Edge: What ‘The
Call of the Void’ Tells Us About Ou…
From Anxiety to Acceptance: Making Sense
of Disturbing Thoughts
Sep 9
in
The Problem With Stoicism
Principally Stoicism is for slaves and
prisoners. In Nassim Taleb’s words it is abou…
Oct 1, 2018
in
How Lifelong Learning Can
Advance Your Career and Life in…
For years, you had clarity about your job role.
You were smart to deal with your career…
May 3, 2018
Yogesh MalikFuture Monger Yogesh MalikSubtleties of Things & Non-things
30 1
Yogesh MalikSubtleties of Things & Non-things
340 7
Yogesh MalikSubtleties of Things & Non-things
32 1

15. See all from Yogesh Malik See all from Subtleties of Things & Non-things
Recommended from Medium

16. Lists
Staff Picks
735 stories·1307 saves
Natural Language Processing
1710 stories·1278 saves
Basic Introduction to Nondualism
This is an introductory article for my favorite
metaphysical philosophy, Nondualism. I was…
Sep 10
in
What’s Behind Consciousness?
Two Mind-Bending Concepts You’…
You’ve been bamboozled. Consciousness
isn’t the big deal you think it is. Sure, it’s the…
Sep 7
Roy Klein
708 19
Thomas A. VikNirvanaNuke
351 9

17. The Deathless Realm
… and emulating the qualities of friends
6d ago
The Death of Ideals: A
Psychoanalytic Exploration of…
Unraveling the Psychic Consequences of the
Collapse of God and Marx
Sep 13
in
None of Our Worldviews Matters to
the Cosmos
in
Spirituality Is A Cult.
Upāsaka Asoka
6
Babek Hürremi Yusufoğlu
5
Benjamin Cain Philosophy Today KayDee The Taoist Online

18. See more recommendations
HelpStatusAboutCareersPressBlogPrivacyTermsText to speechTeams
The threat of semantic nihilism in the scope
of deep space and time
3d ago
A personal journey through the spiritual
marketplace
5d ago742 30 669 19