A theory of consciousness has two aspects to it. One is to
explain the sensory data that we experience. The sights, sounds, sensations of
temperature, smells, etc, without which consciousness would not be possible. I
believe that this has been sufficiently explained from a philosophical
standpoint in Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Leonard Peikoff and
Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology by Ayn Rand; and it has been explained
by modern science in terms of light waves and sound frequencies. For this reason
I won't go into too much detail regarding the senses. I think that it is not too
difficult to understand how the senses work in purely physical
terms.
What I'm going to write more in detail about is the other aspect of consciousness, particularly human consciousness, which is what the mind does with these sensations: differentiation, abstraction, reason, volition and so forth. These are not quite as easy to think of in purely material terms, especially since we cannot point to some physical property of the brain and say that this is what is responsible for free will. However, I do think that with the current state of modern biology and with Rand's epistemology, I can show how it is possible to relate every mental faculty with a corresponding physical aspect of the brain.
What I'm going to write more in detail about is the other aspect of consciousness, particularly human consciousness, which is what the mind does with these sensations: differentiation, abstraction, reason, volition and so forth. These are not quite as easy to think of in purely material terms, especially since we cannot point to some physical property of the brain and say that this is what is responsible for free will. However, I do think that with the current state of modern biology and with Rand's epistemology, I can show how it is possible to relate every mental faculty with a corresponding physical aspect of the brain.
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