The Mystery Of Consciousness And Consciousness Essay

Consciousness has been referred to as ‘the hard problem’, and still remains to be one of the baffling conundrums of our generation. Even so, that the world’s greatest mind could not possibly solve the mystery of consciousness. Consciousness is the subjective perception of the self. Consciousness allows us to feel happy, to solve problems, and to create memories. Throughout the nineteenth century and beyond, however, consciousness has laid beyond the confines of science. Rene Descartes , a French philosopher, laid down the foundation of science by reflecting on what it meant to be conscious. Descartes was the one who introduced the idea of the mind as separate from the body, otherwise known as Cartesian Dualism. Descartes several theories sparked major controversy and discussion about consciousness. During the twentieth century, consciousness was seen as a taboo, so usage of the word was ‘banned’. Using the term ‘consciousness’ was forbidden because there was no precise way to describe it. Consciousness is psychologically constructed because of its difficulty to be observed and measured which is why it can easily be seen as a taboo. Now, consciousness is accepted and has begun to address some of the most challenging questions of our time. Because consciousness is now well defined and at the forefront of neuroscientif ic research , neuroscientists are now able to address daunting questions like that of the â€Å"vegetative state†. The definition of consciousness is vital towardsShow MoreRelatedEssay on Consciousness As Determined Th1030 Words   |  5 Pages Consciousness is understood in a variety of ways. In one belief, a person is conscious when awake, but unconscious when sleeping or comatose. Yet people also do things requiring perception and thought unconsciously even when they are awake. 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