259.269 The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
This course is in all assigned curricula part of the STEOP.
This course is in at least 1 assigned curriculum part of the STEOP.

2019W, VO, 2.0h, 3.0EC

Properties

  • Semester hours: 2.0
  • Credits: 3.0
  • Type: VO Lecture

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of the course, students are able to...

      three concepts of time: (1) homogeneous, symmetric parameter time, (2) anisotropic, directed time, (3) tensed time, i.e. the time containing the now.

-       The concept of time appropriate to account for motion (1) is not rich enough to account for life, the concept of time rich enough to account for biological life (2) is too poor to account for conscious life. A classification of the sciences according to the definition of time implied renders a hierarchy of increasing experiential concreteness and decreasing formal rigour. The richer a theory's account of what we experience as time, the looser become its definitions.

-       Logical problems of accounting for the Now and its travel

-       How relativity theory excludes the Now from physical reality

-       The block universe. The distinction between real change and temporal change

-       Temporal change (=passage of time): a subjective illusion?

-       Nowness and mental presence

-       Mental presence as the mode phenomenal consciousness exists in

-       Presence and reality: two modes of existing

-       Is presence, as a mode of existing, without prospects of being acknowledged scientifically?

-       The mind-body problem: How is it to explain that brains process information not only, but bring forth mental presence also?

-       The hard problem (regarding the very existence) and the easy problems (regarding the contents surfacing in experience) of consciousness

-       Mental presence and attention. How do we control the focus of attention? The problem of free will and mental causation

-       How do we distinguish mental presence from the temporal present? (1) The distinction of temporal change from focal change, (2) the temporal present and its travel are objective in the social meaning of objectivity.

-       Is there a mechanism synchronizing the Now inter-subjectively?

-       Leibniz¿ idea of synchronization: pre-established harmony

-       Is there a physical re-interpretation of pre-established harmony?

-       Quantum entanglement and non-locality

-       The measurement process, understood quantum theoretically

-       Measurement and the constitution of local facts. Parameter time t and the time observable T

-       Measurement as a ubiquitous process of the constitution of facts. The concept of a growing universe (contrasting the block universe).

-       Quantum measurement and the quantum Zeno effect

-       Henry Stapp¿s idea of how the quantum Zeno effect might explain the capability of steering the focus of attention freely

Subject of course

-       three concepts of time: (1) homogeneous, symmetric parameter time, (2) anisotropic, directed time, (3) tensed time, i.e. the time containing the now.

-       The concept of time appropriate to account for motion (1) is not rich enough to account for life, the concept of time rich enough to account for biological life (2) is too poor to account for conscious life. A classification of the sciences according to the definition of time implied renders a hierarchy of increasing experiential concreteness and decreasing formal rigour. The richer a theory's account of what we experience as time, the looser become its definitions.

-       Logical problems of accounting for the Now and its travel

-       How relativity theory excludes the Now from physical reality

-       The block universe. The distinction between real change and temporal change

-       Temporal change (=passage of time): a subjective illusion?

-       Nowness and mental presence

-       Mental presence as the mode phenomenal consciousness exists in

-       Presence and reality: two modes of existing

-       Is presence, as a mode of existing, without prospects of being acknowledged scientifically?

-       The mind-body problem: How is it to explain that brains process information not only, but bring forth mental presence also?

-       The hard problem (regarding the very existence) and the easy problems (regarding the contents surfacing in experience) of consciousness

-       Mental presence and attention. How do we control the focus of attention? The problem of free will and mental causation

-       How do we distinguish mental presence from the temporal present? (1) The distinction of temporal change from focal change, (2) the temporal present and its travel are objective in the social meaning of objectivity.

-       Is there a mechanism synchronizing the Now inter-subjectively?

-       Leibniz¿ idea of synchronization: pre-established harmony

-       Is there a physical re-interpretation of pre-established harmony?

-       Quantum entanglement and non-locality

-       The measurement process, understood quantum theoretically

-       Measurement and the constitution of local facts. Parameter time t and the time observable T

-       Measurement as a ubiquitous process of the constitution of facts. The concept of a growing universe (contrasting the block universe).

-       Quantum measurement and the quantum Zeno effect

-       Henry Stapp¿s idea of how the quantum Zeno effect might explain the capability of steering the focus of attention freely

Teaching methods

      three concepts of time: (1) homogeneous, symmetric parameter time, (2) anisotropic, directed time, (3) tensed time, i.e. the time containing the now.

-       The concept of time appropriate to account for motion (1) is not rich enough to account for life, the concept of time rich enough to account for biological life (2) is too poor to account for conscious life. A classification of the sciences according to the definition of time implied renders a hierarchy of increasing experiential concreteness and decreasing formal rigour. The richer a theory's account of what we experience as time, the looser become its definitions.

-       Logical problems of accounting for the Now and its travel

-       How relativity theory excludes the Now from physical reality

-       The block universe. The distinction between real change and temporal change

-       Temporal change (=passage of time): a subjective illusion?

-       Nowness and mental presence

-       Mental presence as the mode phenomenal consciousness exists in

-       Presence and reality: two modes of existing

-       Is presence, as a mode of existing, without prospects of being acknowledged scientifically?

-       The mind-body problem: How is it to explain that brains process information not only, but bring forth mental presence also?

-       The hard problem (regarding the very existence) and the easy problems (regarding the contents surfacing in experience) of consciousness

-       Mental presence and attention. How do we control the focus of attention? The problem of free will and mental causation

-       How do we distinguish mental presence from the temporal present? (1) The distinction of temporal change from focal change, (2) the temporal present and its travel are objective in the social meaning of objectivity.

-       Is there a mechanism synchronizing the Now inter-subjectively?

-       Leibniz¿ idea of synchronization: pre-established harmony

-       Is there a physical re-interpretation of pre-established harmony?

-       Quantum entanglement and non-locality

-       The measurement process, understood quantum theoretically

-       Measurement and the constitution of local facts. Parameter time t and the time observable T

-       Measurement as a ubiquitous process of the constitution of facts. The concept of a growing universe (contrasting the block universe).

-       Quantum measurement and the quantum Zeno effect

-       Henry Stapp¿s idea of how the quantum Zeno effect might explain the capability of steering the focus of attention freely

Mode of examination

Oral

Additional information

see documents

Lecturers

Institute

Course dates

DayTimeDateLocationDescription
Wed10:15 - 12:0016.10.2019 - 22.01.2020 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness - Single appointments
DayDateTimeLocationDescription
Wed16.10.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed23.10.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed30.10.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed06.11.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed13.11.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed20.11.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed27.11.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed04.12.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed11.12.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed18.12.201910:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed08.01.202010:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed15.01.202010:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness
Wed22.01.202010:15 - 12:00 Übungsraum iemar (Stiege 9, 2. Stock)The Concept of Time and the Hard Problem of Consciousness

Examination modalities

talks, oral examination

Course registration

Begin End Deregistration end
07.10.2019 00:00 18.10.2019 00:00 18.10.2019 00:00

Curricula

Study CodeObligationSemesterPrecon.Info
ALG For all Students Elective

Literature

siehe LVA-Unterlagen

Language

English