LINGUIST List 3.302

Mon 30 Mar 1992

Confs: Symposium On Consciousness

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1. , Symposium on Consciousness

An International Symposium on

CONSCIOUSNESS

in Philosophy and Cognitive Neuroscience

4.-5. June 1992, University of Turku, FINLAND

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The purpose of this International Symposium is to
gather together some of the leading philosophers and
cognitive scientists who have recently participated
in the discussion of the status of consciousness in
science. The Symposium offers a unique possibility
for discussion of the philosophical and empirical
issues
 that are relevant for the problem of
consciousness and an exceptional chance for
interaction and collaboration for philosophers and
empirical researchers.

The question that will be the focus of inquiry at
the Symposium is "Is it possible to incorporate
consciousness into science?". Philosophers have
suggested different alternatives: some think that
consciousness should be altogether eliminated from
science because it is not a real phenomenon; some
that consciousness is a real, higher-level phy
sical
or neurobiological phenomenon, and yet others that
consciousness is fundamentally mysterious and beyond
human science. At the same time, however, several
models or theories of consciousness or the place of
conscious processing in the brain have been
developed in the more empirical cognitive sciences.
It has been suggested that preconscious or un-
conscious processes must be sharply separated from
conscious ones, and that this distinction is
manifested in, e.g. studies of automatic and cont-

rolled processing, and in certain neuro-
psychological patients. Models of the functional
role of consciousness have been based on these
empirical findings.

The program of the Symposium will encourage a
dialogue between the philosophical and the empirical
points of view. How do different philosophical
convictions relate to empirical findings? What kind
of implicit, philosophical assumptions guide the
modeling of consciousness? What are the plausible
alternative solutions to the brain-conscious
ness
problem and how do they enable the unification of
biological and psychological sciences? Do the
empirical results support, e.g. the elimination of
consciousness from science, or is there converging
evidence and a possibility of creating a unified
theory of conscious phenomena?

Papers based on the talks and discussions in this
Symposium will be published as a book under the
title "Consciousness, Philosophy and Cognitive
Neuroscience", edited by A. Revonsuo and M.
Kamppinen.
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THURSDAY, 4. JUNE:

8:30 Opening of the symposium
Ilkka Niiniluoto (University of Helsinki):
Introduction to the themes of the day -
Scientific Realism and the Problem of Consciousness


SESSION I, 9:00 - 12:15

Theme: The Ontological Status of Consciousness
Chair: Ilkka Niiniluoto (University of Helsinki)

9:00 DANIEL C. DENNETT (Tufts University):
Real Consciousness

 9:45 Coffee Break

10.00 PATRICIA SMITH CHURCHLAND (University of
Ca
lifornia, San Diego):
Consciousness: A Progress Report from Neuroscience

10:45 JOHN R. SEARLE (University of California,
Berkeley): The Importance of Conciousness

11:30 Discussion on the Ontological Status of
Consciousness

12:15 Lunch


SESSION II, 13:30 - 17:00

Theme: The Philosophical Concomitants of
Consciousness: Subjectivity, Qualia, and Intentionality
Chair: Robert Brandom (University of Pittsburgh)

13:30 JOHN HAUGELAND (University of Pittsburgh):
Intentionality and Stan
ce

14:15 JOHN R. SEARLE (University of California,
Berkeley): Consciousness and Intentionality

15:00 Coffee Break

15:15 DANIEL C. DENNETT (Tufts University): Instead
of Qualia

16:00 Discussion on Intentionality, Subjectivity,
and Qualia

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 Friday, 5. June:
FRIDAY, 5. June

8:30 Antti Revonsuo (University of Turku):
Introduction to the themes of the day -
In Search of the Science of Conscio
usness

Session III, 9:00 - 11:30

Theme: Cognitive Models of Consciousness
Chair: Matti Laine (University of Turku)

9:00 BERNARD J. BAARS (The Wright Institute, Berkeley):
A Global Workspace Theory of Conscious Experience

 9:45 Coffee Break

10:00 ANDREW W. YOUNG (University of Durham):
Neuropsychology of Awareness

10:45 Discussion on Cognitive Models of Consciousness

11:30 Lunch


SESSION IV, 13.00 - 16.30

Theme: The Future Science of Consciousness
Chair: Risto Hilpine
n (University of Turku)

13:00 RAIMO TUOMELA (University of Helsinki):
The Fate of Folk Psychology

13:20 BERNARD J. BAARS and JAMES NEWMAN (The Wright Institute,
Berkeley):
A Neurophysiological Interpretation of Global Workspace Theory

14.05 ANDREW W. YOUNG (University of Durham):
Tractable and Intractable Empirical Issues

14:30 Coffee Break

14:45 PATRICIA SMITH CHURCHLAND (University of California, San Diego):
Prospects for a Neurobiology of Awareness, Attention, and Short-Term
Memory

15.30 Panel Discussion on the Future Science of Consciousness

16.30 Conclusion of the Symposium (Risto Hilpinen, University of Turku)

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REGISTRATION:
Before May 1st: FIM 150,-

Transfer to bank account SKOPBANK/HELSINKI 433012-23017
"Symposium On Consciousness"

Desk Registration: FIM 200,-

Contact address:
Antti Revonsuo
Department of Philosophy
University of Turku
SF-20500 Turku
FINLAND
e-mail: REVONSUOko
ntu.utu.fi
Tel: (+) 358-21-633 6340
Fax: (+) 358-21-633 6270