<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The “Problem of the Rock” (PoR) is a famous objection to Higher-Order (HO) theories of consciousness. According to PoR, the HO theorists’ claim that a mental state is conscious iff there is a higher-order mental state about it implies that a rock is also conscious iff there is a higher-order mental state about it. In this paper I show that this argument confuses two grammatically distinct attributions of consciousness, and that if the consequent equivocation fallacy is avoided, PoR is either a straw man argument or has an unproblematic conclusion.</p></abstract>

The “Problem of the Rock” (PoR) is a famous objection to Higher-Order (HO) theories of consciousness. According to PoR, the HO theorists’ claim that a mental state is conscious iff there is a higher-order mental state about it implies that a rock is also conscious iff there is a higher-order mental state about it. In this paper I show that this argument confuses two grammatically distinct attributions of consciousness, and that if the consequent equivocation fallacy is avoided, PoR is either a straw man argument or has an unproblematic conclusion.

The Problem of the Rock and the Grammar of Consciousness

Disputatio

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{"article-title":"The Problem of the Rock and the Grammar of Consciousness"}

The “Problem of the Rock” (PoR) is a famous objection to Higher-Order (HO) theories of consciousness. According to PoR, the HO theorists’ claim that a mental...

The Problem of the Rock and the Grammar of Consciousness

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 5 - 12

Received: Jul 29, 2016

Accepted: Dec 22, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2017-0024

Keywords
Consciousness, higher-order theories of consciousness, the problem of the rock, the generality problem, ambitransitivity

© 2017 Lajos Brons, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Problem of the Rock and the Grammar of Consciousness

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 5 - 12

Received: Jul 29, 2016

Accepted: Dec 22, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/disp-2017-0024

KeywordsConsciousness, higher-order theories of consciousness, the problem of the rock, the generality problem, ambitransitivity

© 2017 Lajos Brons, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Consciousness, higher-order theories of consciousness, the problem of the rock, the generality problem, ambitransitivity