Consciousness Quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks
““For the modern realists, consciousness is both cognitive and functional, and those two traits are integrated. The primary purpose of consciousness is to be aware of reality. The complementary purpose of consciousness is to use its awareness of reality as a guide to acting in that reality. For the postmodern antirealists, by contrast, consciousness is functional—but it is not cognitive, so its functionality has nothing to do with cognition. Two key concepts in the postmodern lexicon, “unmasking” and “rhetoric,” illustrate the significance of the differences.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Age of Em, Robin Hanson, 2016
Consciousness integrates cognition and function to perceive reality and guide actions, unlike postmodern views that separate them.
In simple terms: Consciousness links mind and action to understand and act in reality.
Key Takeaway
Align awareness with purposeful action.
Themes
philosophy
consciousness
modernism
postmodernism
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
theoretical
explanatory
When to use this quote
- personal decision making
- ethical leadership
- critical analysis
- academic debate
Key Concepts
cognitive integration
functionalism
unmasking
rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- How does integrating cognition and function improve decision making?
- What are the risks of ignoring cognitive aspects in action?
A Different Perspective
Postmodern view may undervalue the role of cognition in practical behavior.
![“Yet mere membership as a matter of duty is not enough for Hegel, given the grandeur of the state’s divine historical purpose: “One must worship the state as a terrestrial divinity.”[211]” quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/371/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_hegel_yet-mere-membership-as-a-matter-of-duty_229759.jpg)
![“Given the pervasiveness of capitalism’s domination, the revolutionary vanguard can come only from those outcast intellectuals—especially among the younger students[282]—those who are able to “link liberation with the dissolution of ordinary and orderly perception”[283] and who thereby can see…” quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b31/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_freedom_given-the-pervasiveness-of-capitalism-s_775059.jpg)
