word
access consciousness
AK-ses KON-shus-ness
/ˈæksɛs ˈkɒnʃəsnɛs/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
accessconsciousness
Dictionary meaning
The property of a mental representation being freely available for use in reasoning, reporting, and guiding behaviour; contrasted with phenomenal consciousness (the felt quality of experience); a state can be access-conscious without being phenomenally conscious, and vice versa
History and origin
Formalised by Ned Block in his 1995 paper distinguishing two concepts of consciousness; one of the most influential distinctions in contemporary philosophy of mind
Examples
- A person driving on autopilot may have access consciousness of the road but reduced phenomenal consciousness of the scenery.
- Global workspace theory is primarily a theory of access consciousness.
Synonyms: A-consciousness (Block), cognitive access, representational availability
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