Why did the experience of consciousness arise from our physiology of the brain? Despite active studies in neurobiology, the modern study of consciousness is characterized by disagreements and disputes. There are several competing theories.
Recent review more than 1000 articles revealed more than 20 different theoretical approaches. Some philosophers argue that no scientific theory can fully explain consciousness.
Consciousness is defined as an embodied subjective awareness, including self-awareness. In a recent article published in Internalia, one of the reasons for this is the strong role of intuition.
A social scientist notes that a significant part of the debates about the nature of consciousness boils down to the struggle of intuition, where different sides express their strong intuitive beliefs and contrast them with each other.
Key intuitive beliefs, such as the separation of mental processes and physical bodies (dualism) and the idea that mental processes determine our actions (mental causality) are supported by subjective experience. These beliefs are characteristic of all human cultures and are based on most liberal democracies and criminal justice systems. They are resistant to conflicting evidence since they are supported by social and cultural concepts, such as free will, human rights, democracy, justice, and moral responsibility.
Intuition is an automatic cognitive process that has evolved to provide quick and reliable explanations and predictions. It forms our perception and explanation of the world without the need for long-term thoughts or formal analytical explanations.
Although intuition is useful for many daily tasks, intuitive beliefs can be erroneous and to interfere with scientific literacy.
Intuitive ideas about consciousness make us think that we understand its nature and functions based on personal experience. We believe that thoughts, intentions, and desires determine control our actions.
The wide acceptance of these intuitive ideas partly explains why the formal study of consciousness has long been on the periphery of neurobiology, up to the end of the 20th century.