Lecture 6: Representationalism and “What it’s like”

In this lecture, we focus on debates relating to the phenomenal character of consciousness. In particular, we address the question of whether representationalist accounts of consciousness might enable us to identify what it’s like to be a particular kind of creature. Obligatory Reading: Nagel, T. 1974. What is it like to be a bat? Philosophical Review, 83: 435-50. Further Reading: Akins, K. 1993. A bat without qualities. In M. Davies and G. Humphreys (Eds) Consciousness. Blackwells, pp. 258-73. The course is organized by the Moscow Center for Consciousness Studies / and Philosophy Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University / Lecturer: Prof. Timothy Bayne (Professor of Philosophy, Monash University (Melbourne)) / Music: D-pulse, album “Dancing Qualia” / Timeline: 0:07 - Recap of previous lectures 02: