What is it like to be HOT

PEREZ, DIANA INÉS

Argumentos

Universidad de Ceará

Año: 2015 vol. 7 p. 58 - 64

1984-4247

In a recent paper D. Fisette analyses carefully Brentano´s theory of consciousness, and tries to show that his theory can be considered as a version of the higher order theory of consciousness (HOT), and a better one that Rosenthal´s. The central idea, in Fisette?s words, is to show that: Brentano subordinates subjective consciousness to state consciousness and then, state consciousness to self-consciousness. And in so doing, Brentano seems to have a theory similar to -but better than - Rosenthal´s, because he can answer all the objections traditionally posed to HOT theories. It is in order to answer them that Brentano introduces the idea of self -consciousness and the distinction between implicit and explicit consciousness. In this paper I will first reconstruct Fisette´s main points, and then I will pose some questions to his version of Brentano´s theory. Finally I will add some further reasons to reject higher order theories of consciousness.