Riskgaming Erik Hoel (part 1): The Consciousness Winter
Dec 8, 2023
Erik Hoel, expert in consciousness studies, discusses 'The Consciousness Winter' with host Danny Crichton. They explore the subjective nature of consciousness, debates on consciousness' impact on culture, and various theories and thinkers on consciousness, including Integrated Information Theory.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The Long Consciousness Winter
- The consciousness winter lasted from around the 1930s to the 1980s, sidelining consciousness in science.
- Early psychologists openly studied consciousness but behaviorism and logical positivism pushed it out of the scientific realm.
Consciousness: An Age-Old Puzzle
- Consciousness is harder to explain mechanistically than attention or memory because subjective experience is elusive.
- Many contemporary debates mirror discussions on consciousness from over a century ago by William James.
Cultural Impact of Consciousness Exile
- The exclusion of consciousness from science influenced culture, shifting art movements to become more skeptical of inner experience.
- Usage of the word 'consciousness' sharply declined around 1940, reflecting this cultural shift.